We suggest one trade the LA Clippers could make with the Phoenix Suns.
We continue our series of suggesting one hypothetical trade the LA Clippers can make with every NBA team, and complete our suggestions for Pacific Division teams today with the Phoenix Suns.
After already suggesting possible trades with division rivals the Lakers, Warriors, and Kings, we look to another young up-and-coming NBA team to try to find a swap that would benefit the Clippers and also remain somewhat realistic and acceptable for their trade partner.
The Suns feature a young star in Devin Booker, a rising big-man in former number one overall pick Deandre Ayton, young, two-way athleticism from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Miles Bridges and decent depth at various positions. Their issues come in fit and finding players that mesh well together for the future of their franchise. We hope this trade helps address that for them while giving the Clippers a little something for the here-and-now.
Why we like this trade for the LA Clippers.
The addition of Dario Saric would give the Clippers an additional versatile offensive weapon to bring off their already formidable bench. The six-foot-ten forward from Croatia would add some size, playmaking ability, and shooting to an already dangerous second unit and bring back a little bit of what the Clippers lost when they traded away Danilo Gallinari to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This is already the second trade we’ve suggested that include Mfiondu Kabengele and Patrick Patterson and honestly, you might see their names come up a lot more in this series. Kabengele is a young, talented, athletic big man with a lot of upside on a team-friendly contract and Patterson is a veteran locker room presence in the final year of his deal. Those are two key pieces to make any of our hypothetical trade situations work.
Would the Suns do it?
Saric doesn’t really fit in with their plans and their future, so unloading him in exchange for this package from the Clippers might actually help them out quite a bit. The addition of Kabengele gives them a young, promising, athletic big man who can grow into a backup role to Deandre Ayton.
The Suns currently employ Aron Baynes, Frank Kaminsky, and Cheick Diallo as their platoon of back-up bigs. Adding Kabengele could allow them to let Baynes walk when he becomes a free agent this offseason and fill his spot with a younger, cheaper option. Removing Saric from the roster allows them to give more playing time to Kaminsky, another tall, floor-spacing big who might fit in more with the future of the team.
We will continue our series of one trade with every team for the LA Clippers again next week.