BLOWING UP THE CLIPPERS

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS:

Realistic Trade Scenarios for How the Clippers Rebuild:

A lot of my articles tend to be lists, but this is more of a discussion. Two years in a row, the Clippers have fizzled out, and honestly, it might be time to hit the hard reset button. Kawhi and Ibaka could walk, leaving them with a lot of role players on one-year deals, and Paul George.

The Clippers very well could build around PG13, as he performed well against arguably the highest ceiling team in the West, but there are several players that just don't work well for this team. With the Clippers giving away their future elite prospect in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a treasure trove of draft picks, it only makes sense for them to start a rebuild if they can still remain a mostly winning team.

How do they get there? There have to be several things that go their way.

To start, where does Kawhi go? If he were to walk, the two destinations that make the most sense are going to be the Knicks and the Mavericks. The Mavericks have their own issues with an entirely new front office, so he might not want to jump into that situation. Nico is well regarded among the players in the league, but I don't know if that is enough to cause him to jump into that situation.

The Knicks, however, he could probably run that team. The Knicks build is very similar to how his championship team in Toronto was constructed. A passing forward that helps lead the offense, a two-way guard, the only other piece missing is a scrappy point guard, which they could also address this off-season.

There is one team that would really entice him, and that would be the Miami Heat. Jimmy Buckets, a thriving young big in Bam Adebayo, and several high upside prospects in Precious Achiuwa, Tyler Herro, and Kendrick Nunn might be enough to peak Kawhi's interest. There would have to be some roster finagling, but they're close enough that they could make it work.

Regardless of where Kawhi lands, I don't see him departure being able to actually help them in anyway, even in a sign-and-trade scenario.

Tearing down the roster, you have to see what you can get for Paul George. One team that immediately comes to mind when trying to quickly rebuild their roster would be the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks, as many have realized, have too many players. They have De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Onyeka Okongwu, Kevin Huerter, and even John Collins all possible tradable players. Hell, they could even bring Danilo back to the Staples Center. Paul George for Gallinari, Hunter, a 2021 1st Round Pick, and one or two future picks might be enough to entice the Clippers. This trade immediately fills two starting roster spots and gives them some future assets to work around.

There are two other teams I could see pursuing Paul George. The first one - Toronto Raptors. Yes, this one is perplexing, but hear me out. They have cap space, they can sign and trade using Kyle Lowry, they have the #4 overall pick, and they have several future assets available. Toronto adding Paul George immediately makes them viable playoff threats in the East, but the Raptors are more likely to make other moves instead.

The second team - Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have two lottery picks, James Wiseman, and an opportunity to get off of Wiggins' contract. The Warriors would be stacked acquiring Paul George and PG would be able to stay in California. This trade would be a shocker and a blockbuster trade, while not completely deteriorating the Clippers. They get to start fresh, Wiggins gets to be "the guy" again, and the Warriors get that third big piece on a fully healthy squad. I'm rooting for this trade.

Other role players that would need to be moved would be Marcus Morris and Luke Kennard. Both on long-term deals, neither would be valuable to a playoff team. Morris could likely command a mid-first pick to a team like San Antonio, Memphis or the Lakers. Lakers probably don't do the trade, just out of principle, but San Antonio and Memphis both could use a wing with DeRozan's contract expiring and Memphis' best wing player being Justice Winslow. 

Luke Kennard is another story - I really don't know where he goes. He's in a team-friendly contract, but he has been inconsistent and depending on the series, almost unplayable. Maybe you trade him for a late flyer first to a team like Houston or OKC, but really, his value is probably all over the place. Just freeing up the cap space in of itself might have value.

Patrick Beverley after his melt down, might be a hard sell to a team. He could have value on a team like the Lakers, Heat, Knicks, or Denver, but it's tough to say. They take their best offer for him and run. It is probably a similar situation with Rondo as well.

What they get for Paul George probably trickles down to how they maneuver their other smaller trades, but should Kawhi decide to bounce, they do have options. Clippers fans should not be freaking out, but they should be very uncomfortable as the off-season looms. Stay tuned.

- Adam Safianow - NBA Analyst - Upsyde Sports [Copyright 2021]

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