The LA Clippers have been connected to many names in the leadup to the trade deadline. With 5 days to go, fans of the Clippers are anxiously wondering what deal, if any, gets done.
It can be difficult to keep track of which players the LA Clippers may (or may not) be trying to acquire, so here at Clipperholics we decided to compile a list of some of the rumors that are a bit more substantial.
Whom are the LA Clippers looking at trading for at the deadline?
An early rumor from The Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks mentioned that the LA Clippers may be taking a look at trading for Tomas Satoransky from the Chicago Bulls. Sato would be an interesting addition who could help us out at the guard position while adding some size that could play on the wing.
The difficulty with Tomas is that the LA Clippers would have to send out $10 Million, which means that Patrick Beverley or Lou Williams would probably have to be involved, and Satoransky might not be a big enough improvement to make that worth it.
The next rumor to come out was one that many fans of the LA Clippers have been clamoring for. Shams Charania wrote in the Athletic that the Clippers have expressed interest in Oklahoma City guard George Hill. Hill would certainly provide playmaking chops and some decent defense at the point guard position, but the money is as tough for him at $9.5 Million as it was for Tomas.
In that same Clipperholics article, we mentioned that some NBA executives see the LA Clippers as a potential landing spot for Evan Fournier. The broken record strikes again, but Fournier’s money is even tougher, as he’s sitting at a cool $17 Million. That sort of money would require multiple pieces, including a Patrick Beverley or Lou Williams.
None of those trades seemed particularly realistic, as the LA Clippers have made no indications that they’d be interested in making a big trade involving one of their core pieces. Instead, they seemed perfectly content to just improve on the margins and get a little bit better.
But then the Indianapolis Star reported that Myles Turner was a target for the LA Clippers, who had gone so far as to inquire with the Pacers about his availability. If the Clippers themselves are asking around about players making that level of money, it might signify that they would be willing to part with a core player like Patrick Beverley to make the right move.
Most recently, Marc Stein reported that the LA Clippers are investigating all possible pathways to acquire Lonzo Ball from the New Orleans Pelicans. While making a deal for Lonzo would be tough given the Clippers’ limited assets, it’s hard not to see how well he would fit alongside our current roster.
These are all the substantial rumors we’ve seen so far, but more are sure to come as the trade deadline gets ever closer. Be on the lookout for constant coverage from us at Clipperholics as the LA Clippers search for any way to get better!