Houston Rockets Receive: Paul George ($35.4M 2020-21 Salary), Patrick Beverley ($13.3M), Terance Mann ($1.5M)
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Russell Westbrook ($41.0M), Robert Covington ($12.1M), HOU 2023 1st Round Pick
Now hold on, why would the Clippers trade Paul George after just acquiring him last season and pairing him up with two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard? Well, because that experiment failed drastically when it mattered in the playoffs. If you are the Rockets, you take this trade in a heartbeat, but they would have to do a lot of convincing to Steve Ballmer and the LA Clippers who will likely want to see their team compete in a regular playoff format with home games and fans in the stands.
For the Clippers to make this trade work, especially since they are already paying taxes on their current team as they are over the tax threshold, they would need to be willing to move on from either G Patrick Beverley or reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Montrezl Harrell. Most likely, the Clippers will do everything they can to resign Harrell this offseason, meaning Beverley would be going back to his old stomping grounds in Houston.
With the Clippers taking on all the money of Westbrook’s contract, getting a player like Robert Covington in return could very well be the missing piece to their puzzle. Covington was fantastic in the playoffs for the Rockets as he averaged 11.2 points and 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 49.5% from the floor and 50.0% from three in 12 playoff games for Houston. Covington is a player that has had a lot of rumors circulate around him and joining the Clippers would provide wonders for their perimeter scoring and fill the three-point scoring void LA had in the playoffs this past year.
Acquiring Paul George, essentially for Russell Westbrook, is definitely a win for the Rockets as George only has two more years on his current contract and keeps them as playoff contenders in the Western Conference with Paul George and James Harden. The Rockets would give up yet another future draft asset in this trade proposal, but by keeping their franchise as an eye-opening spot for potential free agents, Houston can remain relevant for years to come.
