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LA Clippers: Best and Worst Transactions of the last 10 years

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 19: A view of the court at Staples Center during the game between the LA Clippers and the Houston Rockets on December 19, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 19: A view of the court at Staples Center during the game between the LA Clippers and the Houston Rockets on December 19, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
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LA Clippers Doc Rivers
LA Clippers Doc Rivers (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

2013-2014

Best Move: Trading for Head Coach Doc Rivers

In order to secure point guard Chris Paul’s signature in Free Agency, the LA Clippers needed a better coach than Vinny Del Negro who couldn’t get his team over the hump.

The Clippers traded a 2015 1st-Rd Pick (R.J. Hunter) to acquire Rivers. They would name him Head Coach and Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations (later revoked in 2017).

Rivers led the Clippers through the Donald Sterling drama that plagued the team and league during the NBA Playoffs.

Before coming to the Clippers, he led the Boston Celtics to an NBA Title in 2008 and making it back there in 2010. The Clippers knew they were getting a proven Head Coach in the league.

The moves that he made from his front-office role mostly didn’t make sense at times, with analysts citing that Rivers would only go for former players that played for him.

As a Head Coach, Rivers has accomplished a lot in his time with the Clippers (7 years already)! This year he eclipsed the 900th career-win as Head Coach mark.

Without Rivers, there is no development in Montrezl Harrell, Patrick Beverley doesn’t accept his role, Lou Williams might have just retired when he first got to the Clippers and Kawhi probably chooses the Lakers.

Though we may question Rivers’s rotations at times, he has done wonders for a franchise that never had stability at the head-coaching position.

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Honorable Mention for Best Move

In his first move as Senior VP of Basketball Ops, Rivers sent two future second-round picks to Milwaukee to acquire sharpshooter J.J. Redick.

This was a three-team deal but we will get back to other compensation shortly. When Rivers acquired Redick, he envisioned him in the “Ray Allen” role, coming off down screens and hitting threes.

In his 4 seasons with the Clippers, Redick proved to be vital to this offense. Chris Paul, Redick, Matt Barnes, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan always ranked in the top 5 for starting lineups offensive efficiency.

In the 2015-16 season, Redick shot a career-high 47.5 percent from three. In his first season with the team he was hampered by injuries.

In the next three seasons, he would play at least 75 games, marking it a career-high.

Worst Move: Trading for Jared Dudley

Also apart of the three-team deal that sent J.J. Redick to the Clippers also saw Jared Dudley go from the Phoenix Suns to the Clippers.

As part of the deal, the Clippers sent guard Eric Bledsoe and forward Caron Butler to the Suns for Dudley.

The Clippers were hopeful that Dudley would be the teams’ full-time starting small-forward. Dudley struggled from the moment he stepped onto the court for the Clippers.

He complained about having an injured back for most of the season that led to his struggles. Coach Rivers eventually pulled the plug on Dudley starting, opting instead for Matt Barnes.

In the Playoffs that season, Dudley would only play garbage-time minutes as he was completely wiped out of Doc’s rotation.

At the end of the season, Rivers shipped Dudley along with a 2017 1st-Rd Pick (OG Anunoby) to the Milwaukee Bucks for Carlos Delfino (waived), Miroslav Raduljica (waived) and a 2015 2nd-Rd Draft Pick.

Dudley (now on the Lakers), still takes shots at his old team whenever he gets the opportunity too, showing he is still sour about his time with the Clippers.

Honorable Mention for Worst Move

In the 2013 NBA Draft, the LA Clippers were on the clock with the 27th pick. They opted to pick small-forward Reggie Bullock out of North Carolina (he was close with Chris Paul).

The next two picks would be Andre Roberson (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz). Both of those players have had far better careers than Bullock has.

Bullock in recent years has started shooting the ball well but he never really found his footing in the NBA. This move isn’t about who else was on the board, but rather how Bullock was used.

Bullock, like other rookies Doc selected in the past, didn’t see much floor time. Two seasons later, Bullock was traded to the Phoenix Suns.