3 ideal trade targets for LA Clippers in the 2021 offseason
Although they showed progress in this year's playoffs, the LA Clippers face a challenging offseason if they are to continue their pursuit of a first NBA championship.
Kawhi Leonard's injury, which forced him to miss the conference finals against Phoenix, has brought his future with the franchise into question with a player option in his contract this summer. The Clippers would love for him to return as, if he left, they would be unable to replace him considering their salary cap inflexibility.
Although they will want to bring in a long-term option at point guard to replace the expiring contracts of Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo, they will struggle to strike any deals considering their lack of trade chips. The LA Clippers have little in the way of future draft picks as well and only have the likes of Ivica Zubac, Marcus Morris and Terance Mann that they could use in chasing another star.
Luke Kennard's huge contract and injury history means he will likely be a Clippers player next season while big man Serge Ibaka has a player option he will surely pick up considering his lack of involvement this year.
All of this puts the franchise in a tough spot and may force them to get creative in the market if they want to improve for the next campaign. In this article, we will outline three realistic options that the LA Clippers can target this summer.
Three Players the LA Clippers should target in the NBA offseason
#3 Shake Milton
Living out on the perimeter and relying on jump shots was the LA Clippers' bread and butter this campaign and helped them in the playoffs. However, they may look to balance their offense in the offseason, particularly if Reggie Jackson prices himself out of their capabilities.
Despite playing far fewer minutes than Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia 76ers guard Shake Milton totalled more drives to the basket during the regular season. 40% of his shots taken were within 10 feet of the basket, and he made 83% of free-throws earned. That sort of variance in offense could prove valuable to the LA Clippers in their second unit, particularly with his team-friendly contract.
The difficulty would be who the LA Clippers could offer to the 76ers in a trade. Philadelphia would not want to take on a bigger contract than the near enough $2m he is set to earn next year, while the Clippers wouldn't want to part ways with one of their promising young stars. Were the Sixers to trade Ben Simmons this summer, the Clippers could entice them with either Patrick Beverley or Rajon Rondo as a backup guard with experience and defensive solidity.