Los Angeles Clippers Receive: G Kemba Walker, C Tristan Thompson
Boston Celtics Receive: C Ivica Zubac, G Patrick Beverley, G Luke Kennard
If the Clippers were to come up short of the Western Conference Finals once again, then a move like this is definitely a huge possibility for them. The same goes for the Celtics, who are facing what looks to be yet another disappointing postseason result.
Moving Kemba Walker may not be easy for the Celtics in the offseason, as he has dealt with knee injuries over the course of his playing career and the fact that he is owed $73.6M through the 2022-23 season (player option in the 2022-23 season for $37.6M), but the Clippers are definitely a team that could be interested in the All-Star guard.
Assuming Los Angeles loses in the Western Conference Semifinals again, they will be searching for answers that they can easily find in a player like Kemba Walker. With no Lou Williams anymore and Patrick Beverley being in and out of the lineup due to numerous injuries, the Clippers do not really have a true point guard who can facilitate and also make plays for everybody on the court.
Getting Rajon Rondo definitely helps and will prove useful in the playoffs, but he is not the player he once was and is not the difference-maker in the Clippers winning a championship. Kemba Walker is this kind of player, which is why Los Angeles could potentially target him.
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Giving up Pat Bev and Luke Kennard for Kemba would not be hard for the Clippers at all, but giving up Ivica Zubac would definitely be hard to do. Zubac has mainly been the backup center this season with Serge Ibaka on the team, but since Ibaka has been hurt over the last few weeks, Zubac has stepped up into the starting role and has been fantastic.
In his last 10 starts, Zubac has had seven games with 7+ rebounds and has scored in double figures in five of those ten games. At just 23-years-old, Zubac has a chance to grow into a very reliable center for many years to come, which is why the Celtics would want him in return.
Boston’s frontcourt has been a mess for years now and while Tristan Thompson has been solid this season, he is not the future of this team at the center position. There are also question marks around Robert Williams. He is a young, athletic, and “brute” of a center, but he is prone to foul trouble and can be very inconsistent at times offensively.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at both the Clippers and Celtics as a whole and truly see if this trade is not only feasible for both of them, but if it makes sense for the direction both franchises are trending towards.
