The LA Clippers Need to be Aggressive in this Draft

If the LA Clippers really want to commit to player development, they need to be active and aggressive in this year’s draft.

In the introduction for Ty Lue, LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and GM Lawrence Frank both stressed the need for player development going forward as a way of improving the team.

If that’s really going to be their focus, this draft presents a great opportunity. If they are aggressive in trying to get the best players they can, there’s the potential to grab somebody who could be a rotation piece down the line.

This year the Clippers can spend up to $4.2 Million in trades, including buying picks.  In any NBA draft, second round picks are often for sale, especially in the mid-to-late second round. But this year may be different. Way back at the restart of the season, one NBA executive said that they expected first round picks to be for sale to recoup some lost money.

If a team makes their first round pick available for cash, it’s hard to imagine Steve Ballmer not being willing to spend the money. The last time a first was sold was in 2013, when the Denver Nuggets sold the pick that would become Rudy Gobert for a second round pick and money.

Of course, if the Clippers can buy into the first round, we shouldn’t expect that the pick becomes as good as Gobert, but picking in the mid-20s makes it a lot more likely than picking in the 50s.

Even if the only picks for sale are higher in the second round, the Clippers should buy as many as they can. There are point guards like Immanuel Quickley, Ashton Hagans and Payton Pritchard who have the upside to potentially help the team throughout the second round. Alternatively, Udoka Azubuike’s skillset is one that the Clippers could use, depending on his development. A 7 footer who can rebound and defend is always useful.

I’m not saying all of these guys are going to turn into rotation players. But if picks are for sale, the Clippers could get several rolls of the dice. If they could get a player who can see minutes out of this draft, they should aggressively pursue that.

What do you think? Would you like to see the Clippers try to buy their way higher in the draft? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook, and keep checking back here for all things LA Clippers!