The 2022-23 NBA season has been an up-and-down one for the Los Angeles Clippers. They seem to string together some wins, only to follow it up by losing a couple in a row and find themselves with a 15-13 record, which is good enough to be the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
You’d expect more from what is arguably the deepest team in the league, but the Clippers are facing the same old issues that have hampered them in the past. Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have missed time, with Leonard having played just 8 games so far.
Considering the circumstances, they have done a good job at staying afloat, but we know by now that we can’t trust the two stars on the Clippers to stay upright. You can have all the depth in the world, but if the stars aren’t around, there’s only so far that you can go. With that in mind, it could be time for the Clippers to make a splash by giving away some of the many role players they have on the team.
3. Robert Covington
Robert Covington was supposed to be a key piece for the Clippers as he’s one of the better 3-and-D role players in the league, but he has seen limited time on the court in their crowded rotation. He is averaging just 15.6 minutes per game and is putting up 5.6 PPG to go with 3.6 RPG.
We saw him do well in a bigger role after being traded to the Clippers last season, as he was averaging 10.4 PPG on 45.0% shooting from beyond the arc. He can do well on another team in a bigger role and is on a manageable contract, as he is earning $12.3 million this season. Michael Scotto from HoopsHype also had Covington as his most likely candidate to be traded from the Clippers, and it does look like an exit might happen.
2. Reggie Jackson
Getting signed by the Clippers was the best thing to have ever happened to Reggie Jackson in the NBA. He enjoyed a remarkable turnaround with the franchise and has earned the starting point guard spot on the team. He is averaging 12.7 PPG and 4.2 APG this season, which is decent, but they dropped as compared to 2021-22, which is a bit of a worry. Jackson’s contract sees him earn a solid $11.2 million this season, but he is an unrestricted free agent next year, and the Clippers might consider cashing in when he still has value around the league.
1. John Wall
Considering the Clippers just signed Wall, you might wonder why he is already regarded as someone who could get traded, but there is a good reason for it. He does have solid averages of 12.6 PPG to go with 5.6 APG but has shot a terrible 27.4% from beyond the arc, and that could be a big problem come playoffs, which is why Yassi Gozlan from HoopsHype feels that Wall could be traded. He is due just $6.4 million for this season, and there is a team option for next season at $6.8 million, so it isn’t a terrible contract by any means.
Gozlan added that the Clippers are looking for some outside shooting at the point guard spot, and a name does come to mind who can help with that in Coby White, who the Chicago Bulls have been trying to trade for a while. He is having a down year but did average 12.7 PPG on 38.5% shooting from beyond the arc last season.
If we just stay with the Bulls here, there are growing calls for them to blow up their roster. Considering that, they might be open to parting ways with DeMar DeRozan, and a package including the three men we just mentioned, along with some draft capital, might be enough for them to let DeMar and White go. The salaries would work for a trade as well, as White is earning $7.8 million this season while DeRozan is at $27.8 million.
The Clippers do have first-round picks to trade, and this would put them in a situation where even if one of their stars is out, they’ll have two remaining to help carry the team. This would be the ultimate win-now move, though, but the Clippers are all-in at this point and this move would significantly improve their chances of winning it all.
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Player salaries via Spotrac.
