Whether the LA Clippers win the NBA championship this season or fall into the Play-In Tournament for a second consecutive season will probably not come down to their play at center. For the most part, it will be the play, and availability, or Paul George and Kawhi Leonard that dictate where this team ends up.
That doesn’t mean the center position isn’t important, and just like every other position in the starting lineup and throughout the roster, the Clippers should look to maximize their talent at center in any way possible. Their switch-heavy scheme has minimized their reliance on a pure center, but the size of many NBA stars has swung the pendulum back toward relevance.
The Clippers have a solid starting center in Ivica Zubac, a good rim protector and screen-setter, and an excellent rebounder. He’s certainly not a difference-maker, though, and the Clippers have been much better with Zubac off the court this season than on. Behind Zubac the team has a couple of fringe options in Moses Brown and Moussa Diabate.
The LA Clippers could use one of these trades to upgrade the center position.
The Clippers have been linked to a number of centers in trade rumors because of the opportunity to improve the position. That could come by replacing Zubac entirely, but also by adding a second solid option to rotate the two. Here are three centers that might be available on the trade market that the Clippers can consider trading for.