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Although they showed progress in this year's playoffs, the LA Clippers face a challenging offseason if they are to continue their pursuit of a first NBA championship.
Kawhi Leonard's injury, which forced him to miss the conference finals against Phoenix, has brought his future with the franchise into question with a player option in his contract this summer. The Clippers would love for him to return as, if he left, they would be unable to replace him considering their salary cap inflexibility.
Although they will want to bring in a long-term option at point guard to replace the expiring contracts of Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo, they will struggle to strike any deals considering their lack of trade chips. The LA Clippers have little in the way of future draft picks as well and only have the likes of Ivica Zubac, Marcus Morris and Terance Mann that they could use in chasing another star.
Luke Kennard's huge contract and injury history means he will likely be a Clippers player next season while big man Serge Ibaka has a player option he will surely pick up considering his lack of involvement this year.
All of this puts the franchise in a tough spot and may force them to get creative in the market if they want to improve for the next campaign. In this article, we will outline three realistic options that the LA Clippers can target this summer.
Three Players the LA Clippers should target in the NBA offseason
#3 Shake Milton
Living out on the perimeter and relying on jump shots was the LA Clippers' bread and butter this campaign and helped them in the playoffs. However, they may look to balance their offense in the offseason, particularly if Reggie Jackson prices himself out of their capabilities.
Despite playing far fewer minutes than Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia 76ers guard Shake Milton totalled more drives to the basket during the regular season. 40% of his shots taken were within 10 feet of the basket, and he made 83% of free-throws earned. That sort of variance in offense could prove valuable to the LA Clippers in their second unit, particularly with his team-friendly contract.
The difficulty would be who the LA Clippers could offer to the 76ers in a trade. Philadelphia would not want to take on a bigger contract than the near enough $2m he is set to earn next year, while the Clippers wouldn't want to part ways with one of their promising young stars. Were the Sixers to trade Ben Simmons this summer, the Clippers could entice them with either Patrick Beverley or Rajon Rondo as a backup guard with experience and defensive solidity.
#2 Malcolm Brogdon
Among the suitors for Malcolm Brogdon back in March were the LA Clippers and the Indiana Pacers point guard, who did his stock no harm in the remaining months of the season to continue that interest. He appears to be building to his peak after averaging career-highs in points (21.2) and rebounds (5.2) this season. Over his five years in the league, he has been an elite free-throw shooter and distributed a personal best 7.1 assists in the 2019-20 campaign.
The 28-year-old has already garnered a lot of buzz in NBA rumors, with the Pacers reportedly offering him in a rejected bid for Ben Simmons.
Considering the fact the LA Clippers could benefit from a player accustomed to taking a high volume of shots and providing 20 points a night, the fit would be perfect. Brogdon would be moving to a bigger market, while the Clippers receive a replacement for Reggie Jackson's points and some of Kawhi Leonard's contribution as he goes through rehabilitation.
#1 Lonzo Ball
Lonzo Ball has consistently been linked with the LA Clippers and the franchise was reported to have shown interest in the Pelicans guard prior to the 2021 trade deadline. With the 23-year-old entering free agency and New Orleans unlikely to match any considerable offers, the Clippers could look to complete a sign-and-trade for the point guard.
Ball's style of play would be a great fit for the city rivals of the organization that drafted him 2nd overall in 2017. He recorded career-high points per game this season and put up his most accurate shooting metrics across the board. On offense he is an upgrade, in terms of creativity, on Beverley and Rondo and doesn't need the ball to shine. While on the other end of the court, he grabbed 1.5 steals this campaign and continued to have a positive defensive box +/-.
Akin to bringing in Milton, the devil is in the detail in a potential trade for Ball. The developing Pelicans would likely not want any of the LA Clippers' aging guards. Therefore, if the franchise are serious about bringing in an all-round floor general, they would have to be ready to part ways with a combination of Zubac, Marcus Morris, Luke Kennard or Terance Mann.
Guess the Lakers players!
