LA Clippers: 5 signs their season was just getting started

New Players Fitting In

Part of the Clippers recent success on the court can be credited to the team making some savvy mid-season pick-ups via trade and the buyout market. Their roster was already deep and talented but the team didn’t rest on their laurels and made a series of moves to get even stronger for their stretch run.

The Clippers added forward Marcus Morris via a three-team trade with the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards. The Clippers had to send Maurice Harkless, a 2020 first-round pick, the rights to swap first-round picks in 2021, and a 2021 second-round pick (via Detroit) to New York. LA also sent Jerome Robinson to the Wizards and in exchange took back Isaiah Thomas (who was immediately let go from the team.)

Los Angeles also added guard Reggie Jackson by signing the former Piston to a minimum contract after he was bought out by Detroit.

The additions of Morris and Jackson bolstered the Clippers starting lineup and bench unit and added outside shooting, toughness, and defensive versatility to their already deep roster. The additions of these players gave the 2019-20 Los Angeles Clippers their “final form” for the season as they started to prepare for the stretch run.

Morris had spent just 12 games in uniform for the Clippers, and Jackson a mere nine contests before action was put on hold by the league. It’s no surprise that time coincided with the team’s recent successes in wins, finding their identity, and solidifying their rotations for the upcoming NBA playoffs.