As a potential deal for Kevin Durant from the LA Clippers becomes increasingly unlikely, the front office will have more of a chance to fulfill their ‘big fish’ dreams with another contender on the market. There are still stars available; they just will not be as dominant and excellent as Durant.
Furthermore, the Clippers' plans for Durant were inevitably going to fall through as they do not have an immediate draft asset as valuable as those who are also laser-focused on a trade with the Phoenix Suns. The top teams are the Houston Rockets, who have the tenth pick; the San Antonio Spurs, who have two lottery picks; and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have pick number 17.
Additionally, picks are not the only reason LA is held back; it is also because their youth consists of Jordan Miller and Cam Christie, which is solid but does not compare to Jalen Green or Rob Dillingham, who are available to the Rockets and Timberwolves.
If the Clippers receive a call from the Suns, and they are willing to accept anyone not named Ivica Zubac, James Harden, or Kawhi Leonard, that would be extravagant news. But, with the odds opposing LA, they may change directions for another veteran star, and one who seems to be available every summer is DeMar DeRozan.
The LA Clippers’ backup option to Kevin Durant in their offseason hunt may be DeMar DeRozan, and this will only result in chaos
Kevin Durant is worth pursuing, given that his offense is unguardable in the regular season and playoffs. However, when compared to DeMar DeRozan of the Sacramento Kings, there is a night-and-day difference.
Similar to Kawhi Leonard, Durant is known for being in a different mode during the postseason. On the contrary, DeRozan has had reputable struggles, as attempting three-pointers is not something he typically looks to maximize.
In fact, DeRozan has only surpassed 3.0 attempted three-pointers throughout one playoff run in his career, and that was for ten games before the Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Toronto Raptors.
This detriment from DeRozan is in line with an issue the Clippers had with Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. against the Denver Nuggets. However, the difference is the Kings' guard is being paid well over $20 million annually, making the pursuit even more pointless.
Granted, his contributions in the regular season are worth every penny he earns, but the playoffs are precisely why he would not be the ideal backup option for the Clippers if they fail to land Durant from the Suns’ front office.