LA Clippers Trade Reasons #2. Clippers Need Another Reliable Offensive Guard
With the recent struggles in the clutch game and creating a spark on offense, the LA Clippers’ front office might consider trading for a reliable guard. There are inconsistencies with the veteran guards outside of Lou Williams. Reggie Jackson will have good moments where he will be on a scoring run but then experiences terrible turnovers and inconsistent performances.
Newly acquired shooting guard Luke Kennard has been a player with the largest up-and-down performances all season. Coach Lue didn’t play Kennard for four of the last nine games as a response to his lack of confidence in his playmaking abilities. In the previous game against the Wizards, however, Kennard scored 14 points as he shot 5-for-8 in field-goals and 4-for-5 from the three-point arc.
Williams had a late start in terms of solid offensive production for the LA Clippers this season but has been consistent lately. So far this season, Williams has averaged 12.5 points per game. In the last 14 games he played in, Williams averaged 17.2 points per game. Clipper Nation knew that Patrick Beverley was not going to be their star offensive player with him being their main defensive star. In the 28 games played this season, Beverley has only had nine games where he scored at least 10 points.
There are rumors that the front office might look for an offensive point guard or another reliable scoring guard. They might be more inclined to trade the multiple second rounds received in the trade from the Detroit Pistons along with Kennard.
To trade for a reliable point guard like Oklahoma City’s George Hill or Orlando Magic’s Evan Fournier, the LA Clippers would need to trade a lot. They would need to give up someone like Williams and second-year power forward/center Mfiondu Kabengele to come close to the contract of their trade target. Trading one offensive playmaker for another isn’t going to help the LA Clippers.
They will have to be smart; they could potentially trade for an offensive-minded point guard that can provide the support that Beverley cannot establish. An efficient option would be New York Knicks point guard Elfrid Payton, who had his role decreased after the Knicks obtained Derrick Rose. In 33 games this season for the Knicks, Payton has averaged 12.7 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game. Last season for the Knicks, Payton averaged 10 points per game, 7.2 assists per game, and 1.6 steals per game. Elfrid is playing on a one-year, $4.7 million contract with the Knicks as it would more manageable for the LA Clippers to trade for him without giving up an essential player currently on the team.