Team #1: Los Angeles Clippers
Last season was a complete disaster for the Los Angeles Clippers as they were one of the favorites to win the 2020 NBA Finals, but they were booted out of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets after being up 3-1 in the series. In an offseason that saw Doc Rivers fired, the Clippers are not giving up on their championship aspirations and did everything they could to give this organization the best chance to succeed.
Losing Montrezl Harrell deeply will hurt this team this year on both ends of the court, but Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris Sr., and Serge Ibaka are three guys who could greatly aid Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the offensive end of the court. For a team that was so focused on being one of the league’s best defensive teams last season, they forgot that scoring is what wins games in today’s NBA and as a result, they fell short of their goals.
The Clippers now have the offensive and defensive players all-around to be a force in the NBA once again, but they should not be done yet trying to acquire championship caliber talent. PJ Tucker should absolutely be at the top of their list of guys to trade for near the trade deadline this season.
The salary cap and luxury tax threshold is a problem for the Clippers and they may have to be willing to part with a guy like Patrick Beverley in order to make this trade work, but beside the financial restrictions, Tucker would be an excellent addition to the Clippers’ front-court and fill the void on defense that Harrell leaves behind.
None of the players in Los Angeles’ front-court are strong defensive players, which is the biggest reason why Tucker should be the guy the Clippers look to trade for. His abilities to guard virtually any position on the court would keep this team as one of the better defensive teams in the league. Not to mention, he can defend on one end and then knock down a big three-pointer on the other end.
Defense and three-point shooting is what the Clippers have been built on over the years, which is why they need to make this trade for Tucker work and bring him to L.A.