3 Trades That Could Improve the LA Clippers This Offseason

A disclaimer here: I do not know what Montrezl Harrell‘s value on the market is going to be, and I don’t think anybody really does. With this trade, I’m assuming he signs for something in the area of $14 Million, which feels about right.

Why the LA Clippers do this:

If Trezz is signing for upwards of $14-15 Million, that seems a little higher than the Clippers front office would want to go. With this trade, they’d be getting something back for their departing free agent.

I’ve long been a fan of Frank Ntilikina, and I think that he could be a very solid rotation player if he got out of New York. He’s not the playmaker that Rubio is, but he can pass well, and we might see those assist numbers (5 per 36 minutes) blossom when playing with more dudes who can hit shots.

At 6’5 with something around a 7 foot wingspan, Frank has the physical build to guard multiple positions, and he’s fulfilled that potential so far as a young player. He could be another guy to throw at some of the great defensive wings that infest the Western Conference.

He’s also a developable asset for the Clippers – last season was his age 21 season.

Meanwhile, in Gibson we would be hoping for a reduced version of what Montrezl Harrell gave us the past couple seasons. He’d be a bench big who can score a few buckets and grab rebounds and snarl  – last season he put up 13/9 per 36 minutes, and we would expect that he plays significantly fewer minutes than Trezz did last season.

His defense, while not worldbreaking, is solid, and we could expect less of a defensive dropoff when he comes onto the floor.

Would the Knicks say yes?

The longstanding rumors say that the Knicks are pretty done with Frank Ntilikina, and the numbers may agree; the French guard was 9th on the team in minutes per game.

So they may see it as something similar to the Clippers getting something in return for Trezz. They’d be getting rid of a player they don’t want and getting something in return.

And, with far less pressure in terms of making a deep playoff run, Trezz’s shortcomings wouldn’t be nearly as impactful. Since he’s a clear backup big, there would be no competition for the starting spot with Mitchell Robinson, who should be viewed as the center of the future there.

If (when) the Knicks strike out on the major free agents this offseason like Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram, they could view the reigning Sixth Man of the Year a fine consolation prize and a way to keep building excitement among the New York faithful.

With this one, I think it’s possible that the Clippers could ask for a second round pick back, but that might be pushing it too much.