The Los Angeles Clippers are sitting at 19-24, and the vibe of their season has basically been two completely different movies.
They opened 6-21, looked dead in the water, then flipped the script hard once Tyronn Lue publicly drew a line in the sand on Dec. 20. Since then, they’ve played like a real team again, stacking a 13-3 stretch and dragging themselves back into the playoff mix.
That’s why the trade deadline matters for them. Not because they need a “save the franchise” swing, but because this roster still screams for one more dependable piece that makes life easier for their stars, and doesn’t blow up the chemistry they finally found.
And per ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly, the front office is also thinking practically about roster spots and flexibility, not just talent shopping. With that in mind, here are seven realistic targets to keep watching.
1. Bennedict Mathurin
Potential Trade Offer: Derrick Jones Jr., 2026 second-round pick (via MEM)
Bennedict Mathurin is the type of swing the Clippers almost never get to take: young scorer, real athletic pop, and a contract that’s actually workable.
He’s putting up 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists this season. And the bigger thing is this: ESPN’s Bobby Marks straight-up framed Mathurin as a legitimate trade chip because of his expiring $9.2 million deal, with the Pacers looking like they’ll have big roster decisions coming.
That Pacers context matters too. They’re 10-33, last in the East, and you can feel the “reset” energy creeping in. If a team is staring at the lottery, expiring money becomes a feature, not a bug.
For the Clippers, Mathurin is a shot-creation bet. Not “run the offense,” more like “give me 16 in a playoff game when the first option gets trapped.” He can attack closeouts, live at the line, and he doesn’t need a perfect setup to score. On this roster, that’s gold.
The pushback: he’s not a finished product defensively, and if you’re trading for him you’re basically admitting you want him long-term. But if you’re trying to add juice without chasing a washed name, this is one of the few paths that actually raises the ceiling.
2. Coby White
Potential Trade Offer: Derrick Jones Jr., Kobe Brown, 2026 second-round pick (via MEM), 2026 second-round pick (BKN swap)
Coby White is the cleanest “makes sense instantly” fit on this list.
He’s at 18.5 points, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds this season. He’s also on a $12.9 million salary right now, which is the kind of mid-tier number the Clippers can actually maneuver around.
And here’s the key part: ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel explicitly reported the Clippers as one of the teams interested in White, with the Bulls fielding calls. That’s not “random fan trade machine” talk, that’s an actual report with a name on it.
The Bulls are 21-22, floating in that uncomfortable middle where you can talk yourself into buying, but you can also talk yourself into selling before you pay the wrong guy. White, being on an expiring deal, makes him a classic deadline magnet.
Basketball-wise, he does the two things the Clippers need: he can run offense for stretches, and he can score without needing to be spoon-fed. He’s not a lockdown defender, sure, but if you’re the Clippers, you’re not asking him to be that. You’re asking him to lighten the load, keep the pace up, and punish bench units.
If the price is sane, this is the one where you do it and don’t overthink it.
3. Jaden Ivey
Potential Trade Offer: Derrick Jones Jr., 2026 second-round pick (via MEM), 2026 second-round pick (BKN swap)
Jaden Ivey is the weird one, because this is less about “he’s available,” and more about “his situation is screaming for a change.”
The Pistons are 32-10, first in the East, and they’re winning games without needing to force-feed everyone. That’s great for them, but it also creates casualties. Ivey’s minutes and role have gotten uncomfortable, even in games where you’d expect him to be featured.
The stats tell the same story. This season, he’s at just 8.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 26 games. That’s not “young core guard,” that’s “not part of the plan right now.”
Contract-wise, he’s at $10.1 million this season.
For the Clippers, this is the classic buy-low gamble. If you believe you can rebuild the confidence, you get an explosive downhill guard who can pressure the rim and actually change the speed of the game. That’s something this roster often lacks.
But you’re not trading for his 2025-26 production, you’re trading for the idea of him. If you want certainty, look elsewhere. If you want upside without paying star prices, Ivey is sitting right there.
4. Klay Thompson
Potential Trade Offer: Bogdan Bogdanovic, 2026 second-round pick (via MEM)
Klay Thompson is the “keep it simple” option: spacing, gravity, and a veteran who won’t act weird about touches.
He’s averaging 12.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists this season. He’s also on a $15.9 million salary. And the Mavericks are 18-26, sitting outside the picture enough that you can at least imagine them listening if they want flexibility.
There isn’t some loud “Clippers are targeting Klay” report floating around here, so this is more about deadline logic than rumor-mongering, as the Mavs are still expected to gauge trade interest in Thompson once the deadline arrives.
But the basketball case is obvious. You put him next to the Clippers’ main creators, and suddenly defenders can’t load up the same way. Even when Klay isn’t scorching, defenses still react like he might hit four 3s in two minutes, because he’s earned that paranoia.
And when he is feeling it, it still looks familiar. He just dropped 23 points in 20 minutes while bombing from deep in a recent win against the Jazz.
If the Clippers want a move that screams “we’re trying to win right now,” Klay is the type of name that changes the geometry of the floor immediately.
5. Malik Monk
Potential Trade Offer: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kobe Brown, 2026 second-round pick (via MEM)
Malik Monk is pure chaos, in the best way.
He’s averaging 12.2 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 rebounds this season, and he’s hitting 42.1% from three. That’s a real weapon. Not theoretical. He’s also on an $18.8 million salary.
And yes, there’s actual smoke here: Evan Sidery reported the Kings could look to trade Monk ahead of the deadline. When you pair that with the Kings being 12-33, it’s not hard to see why they’d consider pivoting.
For the Clippers, Monk is the bench flamethrower. The guy you unleash when the offense stalls and you need someone to break a defense with two dribbles and zero fear.
The downside is also Monk. He can run hot, he can run cold, and he’s not giving you quiet, methodical control. He’s giving you sparks. But the Clippers don’t need another “steady.” They need someone who can blow a quarter open.
6. Kyle Kuzma
Potential Trade Offer: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kris Dunn, 2026 second-round pick (via MEM), 2031 second-round pick
Kyle Kuzma is the messiest fit on paper, but the funniest one in practice, because it’s the kind of move that could either look genius or get everyone fired.
He’s at 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists this season. He’s also on a $22.4 million salary.
The rumor tie-in is coming from Tomer Azarly: the Clippers are a team to monitor for Kuzma, along with a few other names. And in the bigger league context, Kuzma already got moved in a deadline deal last year, and the Bucks didn’t show much improvement with him.
The Clippers’ angle is simple. They’ve been trying to patch together size and scoring in the forward spots forever. Kuzma gives you a legit body, someone who can rebound his position, and someone who can create a shot when a possession dies.
The fear is that you’re buying a player who thinks he’s a No. 2 option, when you need him to be a No. 4 who plays hard every night. If the Clippers believe their vets can keep him in that lane, it’s interesting. If not, you’re lighting assets on fire.
7. Collin Sexton
Potential Trade Offer: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Chris Paul, 2026 second-round pick (via MEM)
Collin Sexton feels like the “Clippers trade deadline guy” every single year, and now we’ve actually got a real report tying him to them.
Azarly wrote that Sexton is one of the players linked to the Clippers in recent days. Sexton is also on a $19.4 million salary.
This season, he’s averaging 14.9 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.0 rebounds. The Hornets are 16-27, which is exactly the type of record that makes you pick up the phone.
Sexton’s fit is straightforward: speed, pressure, and nonstop downhill attacks. When the Clippers get bogged down into half-court grind mode, Sexton is the guy who refuses to play that game. He forces rotations, gets into the paint, and turns “stagnant” possessions into free throws or kickouts.
He’s not some serene, low-mistake point guard. He’s a guard who plays like every possession is personal. And honestly, that’s kind of what the Clippers need when the offense goes into sleep mode.
Final Thoughts
The Clippers don’t need to blow the whole thing up. They already proved they can look like a real team again once the energy flipped, so the deadline play should be about tightening the screws, not reinventing the roster.
If they want the cleanest basketball upgrade, Coby White is the one. It’s the easiest fit, the easiest role, and the easiest “this helps on Day 1” argument. Malik Monk is the chaos grenade, the bench scorer who can steal quarters and swing a series when the offense gets stuck in mud. Collin Sexton is the pressure valve, he’s the guy who keeps the engine running when the main creators sit.
Bennedict Mathurin and Jaden Ivey are the upside swings. Those are the moves you make if you’re tired of living on thin margins and you want someone who can grow into a bigger piece, not just patch a hole. Kyle Thompson is the spacing bet, simple, scary, and very playoff-coded. Kyle Kuzma is the high-variance one, it works only if the Clippers keep his role tight and the shot selection sane.
My take: if the Clippers walk away from this deadline with one real rotation piece who can score or create without hijacking possessions, they’ll be a problem nobody wants in a first-round matchup.
