Next to James Harden, the LA Clippers need a capable, proven, secondary ball-handler. This is no secret, and although Bradley Beal can score off the dribble, his dribbling was not going to be a reason why LA’s offense could have been elevated. Thus, Sam Vecenie, on the “Game Theory Podcast,” was dishing out hypothetical trades for the Clippers to land CJ McCollum or Anfernee Simons.
The common denominator in both of their pasts is Damian Lillard. In a broader sense, this does not mean much, as they are all split among three different homes after spending a few seasons together in the Portland Trail Blazers’ backcourt.
However, the fact that both potential Clippers’ trade targets successfully coexisted with Lillard will act as a confidence booster in their ability to fit seamlessly with Harden.
Additionally, McCollum and Simons are each on expiring contracts, which would maintain a clean payroll during the 2026 and 2027 seasons, which LA has been overly focused on.
The LA Clippers’ preference should be Anfernee Simons
If Anfernee Simons and CJ McCollum are targeted by Lawrence Frank, the choice he makes will resemble his awareness of the LA Clippers’ team issues. Statistically, McCollum has hit his stride on the Washington Wizards more than Simons has on the Boston Celtics.
But do the Clippers need experience, age, and locker room presence, or do they already have enough and need youth, burst, and explosiveness?
The 26-year-old point guard who was drafted straight out of the highly regarded IMG Academy should be prioritized over McCollum, who is older than Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kris Dunn, while being just a few months apart from Kawhi Leonard.
Although the difference in salary is not much, given that they are both highly paid role players, Simons is roughly $3 million cheaper than McCollum.
Moreover, this season, Simons is averaging 13.7 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.2 rebounds, shooting 44.7% from the field and 40.7% from beyond the arc. He has also been one of Boston’s best players, with Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown, as Jayson Tatum is still recovering from an unfortunate Achilles injury.
Nonetheless, Sam Vecenie’s options for the Clippers make sense. The ultimate hurdle Vecenie is urging Frank to tackle is the pressure on James Harden. Simons and McCollum will complete the job exceptionally well, yet one of them has a brighter outlook, and he could currently be building his value in Boston ahead of a trade at the deadline.