Neither basketball team from Los Angeles is currently in an automatic playoff spot in the Western Conference but the feeling around both is vastly different. While the Lakers remain mired in mediocrity despite having three of the best players in the league, the Clippers are 2 spots ahead of them in the standings. A record of 26-26 is commendable for the Los Angeles Clippers, who have been without Kawhi Leonard all season and without Paul George since his elbow injury in December.
Considering their gritty performances and the fact that they don’t have a pick in the upcoming draft, the Clippers could be looking to improve their roster at the trade deadline and they are reportedly making players available in service of that. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has named Eric Bledsoe, Marcus Morris, and Serge Ibaka as the players the Clippers have designated as ‘most available’.
“Eric Bledsoe, Serge Ibaka, and Marcus Morris are the players the Clippers are making the most available. No surprises there. Ibaka is on an expiring $9.7 million deal and he’s barely hanging on to a rotation spot, having been surpassed by Isaiah Hartenstein on the depth chart.
“Bledsoe doesn’t bring enough playmaking or shooting. He makes $18.1 million this season but is guaranteed for only $3.9 million next season, making him slightly more movable. A team could easily absorb one or both of their deals.
“Morris, who is in the second year of a four-year, $64 million deal, comes at a reasonable price for a player who could immediately help just about any playoff team. The Clippers may keep him given that he’s their third-leading scorer and a versatile defender, but he’s also their best veteran to deal for a quality point guard.”
A quality point guard has been something the Clippers have needed for almost the entirety of the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George era, with the experiment to bring in Rajon Rondo not working last season. Jalen Brunson of the Dallas Mavericks has been named as a possibility, while Dennis Schröder and Goran Dragic have also been mentioned.
