A Paul George trade is simplest pathway to change roster
Nicolas Batum and Reggie Jackson, two key cogs of their rotation, are both free agents this summer. Serge Ibaka has a $9.7 million player option that he could decline to try and land a multi-year deal.
If they are unable to retain all three, especially Jackson, they will be hard-pressed to replace them.
Jackson was a revelation for the Clippers in the postseason, turning in some magnificent performances. There is a chance that he is offered a contract bigger than the five-year, $80 million deal he signed with the Detroit Pistons in 2015.
If that happens, a Paul George trade may be the only way the team can replenish some of the depth they have lost. Given how he performs better as a primary option than a co-star, could it be what’s best?
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Or, if the Clippers can retain most of them and feel they need to shake things up to get over the hump, George can be used to facilitate that. C.J. McCollum is one name that has been floated as a potential swap for George should the Clippers shop him this offseason.
