As the saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” could have various meanings in basketball, the LA Clippers can build their own this offseason by taking from opponents what they would like to get rid of. The cap environment for several contenders is tight, and some will be forced to pick and choose who to keep on their rosters.
This does not necessarily mean the Clippers will latch onto whomever, but the front office should do head coach Tyronn Lue some justice and add support to the lineups.
Furthermore, a team on the rise to contention is the Orlando Magic. They have their 1A and 1B options in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, with a smart coach in Jamahl Mosley and countless two-way role players.
However, based on what was recently said by NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan, the Magic may look to get rid of two of their youngsters for extra draft picks in return. Though they may want to retain both, the first apron has their front office in a corner.
The two players, Goga Bitadze and Anthony Black, would dominate under the electric Intuit Dome crowd.
Goga Bitadze and/or Anthony Black for picks from the Clippers would ring music to LA’s ears this summer
Sure, it would not just be picks that will be dealt due to salary requirements, but the LA Clippers can push out their expiring contracts and have 21-year-old Anthony Black and 25-year-old Goga Bitadze in LA’s colors.
The trade would likely be the Orlando Magic’s young talents for the veteran scorer, Bogdan Bogdanović, who has a team option next summer. The Magic will mainly be asking for draft picks over Bogdanović, leading the Clippers to include their first and second of this year’s draft, as well as a future second-round pick.
As a former first-round pick, Bitadze is the backup big many Clipper fans want this summer, mainly because he is excellent in the pick-and-roll. This season, he played 70 games and averaged 7.2 points and 6.6 rebounds, shooting 61.1% from the field. All three of these stats were career-best.
Black, on the other hand, is Orlando’s former sixth overall pick and also did great this season with numbers of 9.4 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 42.3% from the floor and 31.8% from a distance.
If traded for, Bitadze and Black would be heavily treasured pieces for the Clippers and their future.