The Los Angeles Clippers were one of the many teams who avoided making any major moves at the NBA deadline. With Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, there is a sense the Clippers want to play things out with their core and see how they can get.
If you look at the roster, LAC has a pretty solid core with a deep supporting cast of players. But in the aftermath of all the latest trades in the association, the path to a championship just got a whole lot harder in the West.
They caught a glimpse of one of their newest competitors this week when they faced the Mavericks in Kyrie Irving’s debut game.
Apparently, both Kawhi and PG have felt a ‘jolt of energy’ since watching everything go down over the past few days.
(via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk)
“The Clippers definitely felt that jolt of energy from Kyrie Irving. Seeing him on the other side. Yesterday was an interesting day for the Clippers because they saw the lakers upgrade, and they saw the Mavs first-hand with a guy they actually pursued. Then they felt the shockwaves of Kevin Durant.”
Ohm was there to tell Kawhi the KD news in person, and he reacted exactly how you’d expect from the self-proclaimed “fun guy.”
“He would later tell the media, ‘listen I can only concentrate on what we have to do’ Paul George later tonight I saw him, he was the last guy out. I saw him and I said, ‘crazy deal’ and he said, ‘it’s only gonna get crazier today.’ The Clippers now have to be feeling some pressure because the Western Conference arms race increased. They have to make a move.”
On the night before they made moves today, the Clippers felt the shockwaves of the KD trade and the increasing Western Conference arms race. Went on NBA Today to discuss how Kawhi and PG left Crypto last night knowing Kevin Durant is also now in their way of winning the West. pic.twitter.com/CoQWYutmmm
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) February 9, 2023
The Clippers did bring in Bones Hyland from the Nuggets, and sharpshooter Eric Gordon, but it remains to be seen if either of them will bring the kind of energy that moves the needle for this Clippers team.
Could Clippers Be A Landing Spot For Russell Westbrook?
While the Clippers mostly struck out this deadline, there could be some more moves down the line. After missing out on Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Los Angeles has emerged as a potential suitor for Russell Westbrook.
Should Russell Westbrook secure a buyout from the Utah Jazz after the three-team trade is complete, the Los Angeles Clippers are said to have interest in the star guard, league sources tell NBA on TNT, Bleacher Report.
For now, the Clippers are just going to have to live with the roster they’ve built. The good news is they should have enough to stay competitive and give themselves a chance to make a deep playoff run.
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