The LA Clippers may not make any big moves this season but if they are looking to upgrade they should ask the Wizards about Davis Bertans.
The LA Clippers believe they have a championship-caliber roster but that doesn’t mean they won’t look to make some moves to shore up their team. A possible target mentioned for the team has been Marcus Morris but many (including myself) don’t think he’s worth the asking price. someone who might be though is Davis Bertans.
Bertans, a 6’10” forward, would give the Clippers a whole other level of offensive firepower. In the last year of his current contract, Bertans could be a possible trade target for several teams. He is averaging 15.4 points per game for the Washington Wizards, shooting an astounding 45.7% from deep on 8.4 attempts per game.
For the Clippers, he could slot in nicely with the starting lineup, providing a ton of spacing next to both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Imagine lineups of both Bertans and Landry Shamet on the court. They could light teams up in the blink of an eye.
What’s the price for Bertans though?
This is where things get tricky. Washington has been keen on keeping Bertans, hoping to use his bird rights to re-sign him in the summer of 2020. If they were convinced to move him, ESPN Insider Bobby Marks doesn’t think receiving a first round pick for him would be out of the question.
While the Clippers do have their 2020 first rounder that can be traded away, the real issue in this trade would be matching salary. Bertans is signed for just $7 million this season, meaning to get him, the Clips would have to give up something similar. The only players under contract who would be a one for one swap salary-wise are Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. Giving up either of them does not make sense.
The above trade gives the Wizards Maurice Harkless for the remainder of the year but also gives them a young prospect in Jerome Robinson. Say what you want about Robinson, but he still has a chance to be a solid rotational NBA player. To make salaries match up, the Clippers would have to give up Patrick Patterson while taking back Ish Smith. Smith would give the Clippers a backup veteran point guard, something that would definitely fortify the team.
Obviously the main takeaway for the Wizards in this trade is getting back a first round pick for an expiring player. However, with the Clippers looking like they’ll finish near the top of the Western Conference, that pick is going to be very late in the round. The Wiz may look to make a similar deal with other teams but with the hope of getting a pick much earlier in the draft.
For the Clippers, this is a steep price to pay. Yes, you get a sharpshooter who will just show up and do his job and a backup point guard, but Bertans is on the last year of his deal. Giving up a first round pick along with Robinson might not be the best move available. Still, this is the kind of move you make if you are all in on winning this season.
While this trade seems unlikely to happen, it’s definitely something the Clippers’ front office should call about. Adding the Latvian Laser’s shooting to the team would give them a huge boost, making their already potent offense even harder to defend.