If the LA Clippers are looking to make a trade, they should do it sooner rather than later.
The NBA might just be about ten games into the season but it’s never too early to talk about trades, right? The 2020-21 trade deadline of March 25 is just 77 days away from time of writing and will likely feel like it’s upon us in no time, especially for teams like the LA Clippers who may be looking for that one final piece to complete their championship aspiring roster.
While March still feels a ways away, the LA Clippers should start looking at trades as soon as possible if they believe they need to make one. This NBA season, much like last year, is still uncertain to finish on time. While the league has been doing well as a whole and looks to continue that trend, COVID-19 could still cause issues leading to delays in games.
I don’t think that will happen, but unlike most seasons where teams know how many games you have to work a new player into your rotation, this year still has question marks and front offices should take note. I mean, we only have the first half of the season schedule at this point.
We saw last season that the Clippers’ chemistry wasn’t all there to begin with and players acquired at the deadline (Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson) had very little time to integrate into the roster before the league was shut down. Chemistry issues became more and more apparent once the bubble started up and the Clippers ultimately fell short. Why risk any chance of repeating that issue?
It’s not just the uncertainty brought along by COVID. Ty Lue is a self-admitted tinkerer.
Ty Lue said that they were just "trying to play with different lineups" tonight.
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) January 7, 2021
That’s well and good for now but if Ty is experimenting with this group, that means he will have to tinker again once any potential deals are done.
The Clippers aren’t exactly flush with assets either, meaning likely trade candidates from the roster will be players who are key in the rotation right now like Lou Williams or Patrick Beverley. If someone like that is dealt, Ty will have to mess with his rotations more, meaning chemistry between different lineups might not develop as quickly as necessary.
Should the LA Clippers make a trade? I’m not so sure. If the front office believes they should though, it’s in everyone’s best interest to try and get it done sooner rather than later.