Grade the Trade: Clippers could add Conley to boost best lineups

Building the Clippers’ trade package for Mike Conley

The first step to building a trade with the Utah Jazz for Mike Conley involves matching salary, and the second involves adding some sort of asset to complete the deal. Dan Favale of Bleacher Report suggested the following deal, using Robert Covington as most of the answer to both of the above steps:

Reggie Jackson makes $11.2 million this season, while Covington makes $12.3. That had the Clippers sending out $23.5 million to get back Conley’s $22.7 million, which will save them a pretty penny in luxury tax payments. The second-round pick is the Clippers’ own.

Would the Jazz make this deal without a first-round pick included? Maybe not, as they love Conley and he seems to enjoy playing there. At the same time, they have indicated they want to keep Jordan Clarkson around, just signed Collin Sexton to a four-year deal, and have young guys like Ochai Agbaji, Leandro Balmoro and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to give run to down the stretch.

Covington is a value veteran who provides insurance if they move on from Jarred Vanderbilt at the deadline, or who they can flip this offseason to a contender for assets. Likely this isn’t enough to get it done, but the logic to get there is present enough to keep moving forward. Does this deal work for the Clippers?