With the statuses of Paul George and James Harden firmly up in the air, get ready for weeks filled with potential trades. It's no secret the Clippers want their pair of future Hall of Famers back to complement the already locked-down Kawhi Leonard, but the idea of running it back could be uninspiring.
The team's nucleus has routinely fallen apart once the postseason rolls around, and it has been unable to escape the treacherous Western Conference. The roster is in dire need of reshuffling and a culture shift. Even with the Intuit Dome opening next season, that doesn't excuse the organization from standing pat. No one's asking for a total rebuild, but the current product is unacceptable.
Lawrence Frank's task of retooling on the fly is challenging, but there are plenty of potential avenues he can explore. Here are the three players I think the Clippers aim to move in the coming months.
3 Clippers expected to be traded in the offseason
1. Forward - P.J. Tucker
The NBA's premier sneakerhead has struggled to see the floor in Los Angeles. Since getting acquired in November as a part of the Harden deal, Tucker has only played 30 games for the franchise. In February, the 39-year-old was even fined $75K for publically expressing his desire to find a new home in search of a more stable role.
The once-heralded defensive menace has taken a step back in his advanced age. He can still fight over screens and channel his relentless pestering, but his effectiveness has waned with declining foot speed. He will likely transition into a James Johnson role: an enforcer who rarely plays and can help a team with younger talent.
Tucker has an $11.5M player option, which he will almost certainly pick up. Although isolated, that contract is a detriment, packaged with some other pieces that can be a valuable cap filler used to target another quality asset. His time in the league is likely coming to an end, so his most likely landing spot could be on a contender, giving it everything he has left in the tank.
If there's even the smallest market, expect Tucker to be gone before the start of the season.