Los Angeles Clippers
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard being out due to injuries has left the Los Angeles Clippers very short-handed this season.
Los Angeles is just 25-25 on the season and while they will likely make the play-in tournament this season given how weak the bottom of the Western Conference is, the chances of them making it back-to-back years in the Western Conference Finals are slim to none.
Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris and other veterans have held things down for the Clippers while George and Leonard have been out and the Clippers as a whole have shown a lot of fight, but this team is severely lacking talent to be special this year with their stars being sidelined.
It is possible that the Clippers could look to be “sellers” at the trade deadline depending on if Paul George can return this season from his elbow injury, but they could also look to “buy” in attempts to set themselves up for future success when their All-Stars return next season.
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Adding another guard to pair with Reggie Jackson in the backcourt is something that is intriguing to the Clippers both now and long-term, hence why De’Aaron Fox could really interest them.
How the Clippers could get a deal done for Fox though is very complicated.
This would have to be a multi-team trade in order to get the Kings some draft picks because Los Angeles does not have a first-round pick to trade away until 2027 due to prior trades made.
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The Clippers may not have draft picks, but should they get other playoff hopeful teams involved in this trade, Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum and Eric Bledsoe could all be dealt in order to get the Kings the draft compensation they would like.
Giving up all of their depth of veteran talents is a risky move for the Clippers to pursue, but they need to set themselves up for future success right now. Trading for De’Aaron Fox certainly does that.
