Clippers trade options right before 2024 NBA training camp

09/06/2024 05:12 PM

A new era has begun for the Los Angeles Clippers, as Steve Ballmer has given his organization their own utopia in Inglewood, California. The start of the 2024-25 NBA season will mark the debut of Ballmer’s $2 billion state-of-the-art Intuit Dome, which will house the Clippers for decades to come. This franchise has rebranded and moved places in recent years, not to mention the amount of money Ballmer has invested in order to make his team a true championship contender. That is why expectations are sky-high for the Clippers.

With Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden together, the Clippers anticipated that they would be one of the final teams standing in the Western Conference playoffs last season. These dreams quickly turned into yet another nightmare when the Clippers lost in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks, who went on to make the 2024 NBA Finals. Other than a surprise appearance in the 2021 Western Conference Finals, the Clippers have failed to be legitimate threats in the postseason over the last several years. To make matters worse, they will now have to try and live up to expectations without George.

This offseason, George decided to leave the Clippers after five seasons and join the Philadelphia 76ers. As a result, the Clippers ended up being aggressive in the free agent market due to the fact that they actually had money to spend freely on their roster instead of being handicapped by the luxury tax lines. George was replaced by Derrick Jones Jr. Nic Batum, Kris Dunn, and Kevin Porter Jr., all of which give the Clippers more depth than they had.

Still, everything looks a little incomplete for LA. Harden and Leonard are still the focal points, but each star carries their own questions into the 2024-25 season. Kawhi hasn’t been the most reliable when it comes to being available and healthy, and Harden has seemed to take a major step back from the scoring weapon he once was. Perhaps the biggest question that surrounds the Clippers heading into the new season revolves around the aspect of this front office still exploring the possibility of pulling off a trade.

With less than four weeks until the start of October and the start of training camp being right around the corner, there are still plenty of players rumored to be on the trade market that could vastly improve the Clippers’ chances of competing for a title during the 2024-25 campaign.

Could the Clippers pull off a big move in the coming weeks? Here are some players that the Clippers could pursue at a smaller price than one would imagine.

Dorian Finney-Smith & Cam Johnson – Brooklyn Nets

Based on the moves that the Clippers made this offseason, it is clear to see that they wanted to become more athletic and versatile pertaining to having various 3-and-D type of options. Jones fits this description after helping take the Mavs to the NBA Finals, and Batum has long been this type of talent on the perimeter. While Dunn isn’t known for his three-point shooting abilities, he is going to be utilized for his primary defensive talents at the point guard position.

If the Clippers are to still make a trade between now and the start of training camp, one would be wise to assume that they would want to target a player like Dorian Finney-Smith. Despite not being the scorer that George has been known to be, Finney-Smith is a terrific secondary talent that can virtually play any position because of his length and defense.

Out of all the players on the trade block right now, Finney-Smith is the best when it comes to fitting the 3-and-D mold. The best part too is that the Brooklyn Nets will trade him right now for the right price.

After trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, the Nets have hit the reset button. Not only is the organization open to discussing deals for Finney-Smith, but they are also open to hearing offers that come their way for Cameron Johnson as well. While his contract is significantly larger than Finney-Smith’s, Johnson is another player that the Clippers would benefit from adding due to his catch-and-shoot prowess, as well as his ability to put the ball on the floor and make a playoff offensively.

In regards to Finney-Smith and his fit with the Clippers, the 31-year-old could alleviate a lot of pressure off the back of Leonard, when healthy, from a defensive perspective. There is a clear need for a defensive stopper on this roster, which is why it would be worthwhile for the Clippers to at least explore the possibility of what a Finney-Smith trade would entail.

That is the big question, as the Clippers don’t have many asses to give up. This team can’t really trade a first-round pick right now, and the Clippers don’t have a second-round pick until 2030. Terance Mann, PJ Tucker, and Bones Hyland are the only three players LA could explore trading, assuming that they don’t want to get rid of Norman Powell.

It is possible that the Nets would have a level of interest in Mann, but neither Tucker nor Hyland really fit the direction Brooklyn is trending in. Any scenario in which the Clippers would look to add talent in a trade before the season would more than likely have to involve another team.

Bruce Brown – Toronto Raptors

Since the Toronto Raptors acquired Bruce Brown in their trade deadline deal that involved Pascal Siakam, they have been looking for ways to maximize Brown’s value on the trade market. Although playoff-contending teams showed interest in the swingman, Toronto has yet to land on a trade that could benefit them in the long term.

Now that he is in the final year of his contract, it seems inevitable that the Raptors will move Brown and the remaining $23 million he is owed this season. Could the Clippers end up being his landing spot in a trade?

Despite being listed as 6’4″, Brown is a positionless player due to his toughness. When he was with the Denver Nuggets a couple of seasons ago, Brown filled all the gaps for his championship-winning team because of his all-around contributions.

When the Nuggets needed some to dive on the court, Brown was the one to sacrifice his body. When there was a 50-50 ball, Brown came up with it. When someone needed to make an extra pass or set a screen for his teammates, Brown was the one to do so. The Clippers need a player like this who can wear multiple hats simply because those are the types of players that always find success next to superstar talents.

The problem with pursuing Brown is the price tag attached to him. In addition to the Raptors wanting draft assets for a player who increases any other team’s championship odds, the Clippers don’t necessarily have a direct path to even being able to match Brown’s $23 million salary.

Due to their acquisition of Dunn in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, the Clippers are hard capped at the first tax apron of $178.1 million. Right now, this team has a total cap of $173 million, making any trade virtually impossible unless they can match salaries. In order to get to Brown’s $23 million, the Clippers would essentially have to part ways with Tucker and Mann, which leads to the discussions of whether or not substituting Brown for Mann makes sense in the grand scheme of things.

Brown is certainly the type of player that the Clippers would immediately utilize off the bench in their second unit, but the financial implications of this trade don’t make a whole lot of sense right now.

Larry Nance Jr. – Atlanta Hawks

Larry Nance Jr. is a sneaky trade target for virtually any playoff-contending team right now. It is certainly possible that he will begin the 2024-25 season as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, but it would come as a surprise if he finishes his contract there.

Set to turn 32 years old during the upcoming season, Nance is at the stage in his career where he should be given the opportunity to compete with a winning organization. The Atlanta Hawks are not exactly the epitome of this statement right now after recently utilizing the first overall pick to select Zaccharie Risacher from France and trading Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans, the deal that sent Nance to Atlanta.

Over the last two seasons with the Pelicans, Nance has proven to be a versatile option in his team’s frontcourt that can at times be a small-ball center. For a team like the Clippers, having Nance be Ivica Zubac’s backup would be highly advantageous, especially since they have built their roster to have more athletes and defensive options this offseason.

Nance fits this description of what the Clippers have looked to add perfectly, and he is only making $11.2 million this year. Funny enough, Tucker is making $11.5 million and could be the path to LA possibly getting a deal done here if they could potentially leverage another player, like Hyland, for a couple second-round picks that would go to Atlanta.

With the ability to be a strong rebounder and defender both in the paint and on the perimeter, Nance would be a nice fit with the Clippers.

Robert Williams III – Portland Trail Blazers

While we are on the topic of finding depth behind Zubac, let’s examine the Clippers’ frontcourt right now. Mason Plumlee left the team in free agency to join the Phoenix Suns, and Daniel Theis also left for the Pelicans.

Even though the Clippers did add Mo Bamba for big man depth this offseason, this organization still needs depth just in case Zubac gets hurt. Not to mention, it never hurts to have another reliable big man that can be utilized in different situations, especially since Zubac isn’t known to be an avid rim-protector.

Should the Clippers feel the need to move Tucker and possibly other assets to beef up their frontcourt, then Robert Williams III must be their choice to pursue. Williams was one of the best when it came to blocking shots prior to his knee injuries, and he was a big reason why the Boston Celtics made it to the NBA Finals in 2022.

This past season, Williams only played in six games before undergoing season-ending right knee surgery to repair a torn ligament. Williams’ situation in Portland is very intriguing right now due to the fact that the Blazers recently selected Donovan Clingan with the seventh overall pick in this summer’s draft. It is realistic to believe that Williams will enter training camp as the third big man in the rotation behind Clingan and former first overall pick Deandre Ayton.

If this is the case, then perhaps the Clippers could actually get a high-impact player at a huge discount given Williams’ talents when he is healthy. Then again, Portland is rebuilding and going to prioritize adding draft assets in any trade for their bench talents like Williams.

As far as pursuing big men go, there may not be a better high-risk, high-reward player on the trade market right now than Williams.

The post Clippers trade options right before 2024 NBA training camp appeared first on ClutchPoints.