Your cart is currently empty!
Clippers’ trade deadline strategy emerges amid surprise season
The Los Angeles Clippers have been one of the surprises of the NBA this season, pushing their record to an impressive 26-19 with a Saturday night home win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The team only recently got star Kawhi Leonard back from an injury that kept him out for the first third of the season, but the Clippers’ role players have helped support a revitalized James Harden running the show for Los Angeles.
With all of the success they’ve had so far this year, some fans may be expecting the Clippers to push all of their chips to the center of the table at the upcoming trade deadline in the hopes of making a run; however, recent intel from NBA insider Jake Fischer on Marc Stein’s Substack indicated otherwise.
“The Clippers, according to league sources, are still keen on keeping their books clean, indicating to rival front offices that they are reluctant to bring back any long-term salary in any potential trade activity over the remaining 12 days of NBA Trade Season,” reported Fischer. “The Clippers appear to be setting themselves up to try to truly capitalize on owner Steve Ballmer’s well-chronicled willingness to spend and the allure of their shiny new Intuit Dome home when Leonard’s tenure concludes.”
A careful approach for the Clippers
Related Los Angeles Clippers NewsArticle continues below
With this latest report, it would appear that Steve Ballmer and company are done taking big swings to bet on the decreasingly reliable availability of Kawhi Leonard. When Leonard first arrived in 2019, the Clippers took a huge risk by trading a treasure trove of assets to the Oklahoma City Thunder to pair him up with Paul George, and that ended up backfiring severely, not only resulting in no championships but also directly setting the stage for the Thunder’s current success.
Leonard signed a contract extension with the Clippers last season, so it will be a while before he is off of the books and Ballmer will reportedly be more willing to go big game hunting in free agency.
However, fans who were hoping the Clippers would try to make a run this season, especially considering how wide open the field seems to be in the Western Conference this season, will likely be disheartened by these latest reports.
The Los Angeles Clippers have been one of the biggest surprises of the NBA season so far, currently sitting near the top of the Western Conference standings. As the trade deadline approaches, the team’s strategy is starting to come into focus.
With a roster full of talent, including stars like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers have the pieces in place to make a deep playoff run. However, there are still areas where they could look to improve before the trade deadline.
One potential area of need for the Clippers is at the point guard position. Despite the solid play of Reggie Jackson and Terance Mann, adding a veteran playmaker could provide some added stability to the team’s backcourt.
Additionally, the Clippers could look to add some frontcourt depth to bolster their interior defense and rebounding. With Serge Ibaka dealing with injuries and Ivica Zubac still developing, adding another big man could be a priority for the team.
Overall, the Clippers’ trade deadline strategy appears to be focused on adding complementary pieces to their already talented roster. By addressing their areas of need, the team could solidify their status as legitimate championship contenders. It will be interesting to see how the team navigates the trade deadline and positions themselves for a deep playoff run.
Tags:
- Clippers trade deadline
- Clippers surprise season
- Clippers trade rumors
- Clippers trade targets
- Clippers playoff push
- NBA trade deadline news
- NBA trade rumors
- LA Clippers trade strategy
- LA Clippers roster updates
- Los Angeles Clippers trade analysis
#Clippers #trade #deadline #strategy #emerges #surprise #season
Leave a Reply