5 Clippers who won't last the entire season in Los Angeles
By Tyler Watts
The LA Clippers are finding their footing after acquiring James Harden. They have four future Hall of Famers on their roster and can beat any team on any given night. It will take sacrifice for their star-studded roster to work. Russell Westbrook is coming off the bench, but none of it will matter if they are not healthy in the playoffs.
It is a crossroad season for the franchise. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Harden, and Westbrook can all be free agents in the summer of 2024. The Clippers are opening a new arena next season and would love to have a contending roster, but the players control the situation. Can LA win enough to convince them to return?
The Clippers should be all-in on this season, which could mean adding more pieces before the deadline. If LA improves their roster, they will have to let someone go. Who could be on the franchise’s chopping block?
5. Terance Mann
Mann was rumored to be the holdup in the Harden deal. The Clippers value the 27-year-old for his versatility, but the 6’5 wing cannot stop them from acquiring a true difference-maker. There is a ton to love about Mann’s game, including that he does not need the ball. Still, he is a role player who has averaged 25.8 minutes per game over the last three years combined.
The Clippers do not have much draft capital left after the Harden deal, but they could put together a 2030 first-round pick swap and a couple of second-rounders. To acquire an upgrade, LA would have to be willing to part with key rotation pieces like Mann.
The LA Clippers value his production and do not want to see him leave. That likely means Terance Mann stays with the franchise because they have plenty of talented role players who could be moved before the Feb. 8 deadline.