Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Los Angeles Clippers
When looking at the Los Angeles Clippers roster right now, it is easy to call them a championship contender because of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. These two guys are two superstars in the NBA and give any team they are on a chance to contend for a title.
No matter who is around them on this roster, the Clippers will always be one of the better teams in the Western Conference simply because they have two of the better players in the entire NBA. These two guys alone have enough skill and firepower to be able to contend with some of the best teams in the NBA.
Moving forward though, the Clippers’ championship window is pretty small given how old this roster is. Lou Williams, Nicolas Batum, Serge Ibaka, Patrick Beverley, Patrick Patterson, Paul George and Reggie Jackson are all 30+ years old and do not have much left in their careers to make a legit championship push, other than Paul George.
By trading away Williams for two younger players and two future draft picks, the Clippers could not only keep themselves in title contention this year, but gain the youthful players they need to be championship contenders for years to come.
Their opportunity to build a young core is almost non-existent at this point and because they have virtually no cap space, this team is doomed if they do not win the championship this year. While Lou Williams’ value is still high and while they can get two draft picks for him, including a first-round pick, they need to trade him to try and get some of their lost draft capital back.
This is the only way for the Clippers to be a successful organization moving forward and while it may hurt their chances at winning a title this year, they will still be very much in the thick of things because of Kawhi and George.
Shake Milton can contribute immediately to this team and Terrance Ferguson has the potential to be an impactful role player on the wing. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to learn from, both Milton and Ferguson could really improve as all-around talents and grow into two key players for Los Angeles moving forward.
