Without Kawhi Leonard on the floor due to an ACL injury, many thought that the Los Angeles Clippers would not be a real NBA title contender. Surprisingly though, Paul George looked like one of the best players in the entire league and was able to keep the Clippers very much in the playoff mix in the Western Conference through the first two months of the season.
However, George is now out indefinitely due to a torn ligament in his right elbow and are just 7-9 without him on the floor this season. Now, the Clippers are playing with a bunch of backups and role players, but still finding a little bit of success here and there.
They have had some bad losses to the Thunder and Spurs in recent weeks, but they have also picked up some surprising, big wins against the Nets on the road and most recently an 87-85 victory over the Denver Nuggets after trailing by as many as 25 points!
This Clippers team led by veterans like Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris Sr. and Nic Batum certainly has shown a lot of fight and resilience, but how much longer can they keep things afloat without either of their two superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George?
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Clippers ‘Open For Business’ As NBA Trade Deadline Sellers
It is possible that Kawhi will return at some point near the end of the season, but George’s return is a big mystery right now. Currently 21-21, the Clippers are nothing more than an average, low-end playoff team in the Western Conference, which is why change is coming as the trade deadline nears.
At full-strength, the Clippers know that they are real contenders, as they have their trip to the Western Conference Finals last season to prove this, but they may not be at full-strength the rest of the season.
Taking a small step back and saving cap space could go a long way in this team being able to add some more talent to their roster in the offseason, which is why the Clippers could look to trade away some veterans and be “sellers” at the deadline this season.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Clippers ‘Open For Business’ As NBA Trade Deadline Sellers
Marcus Morris Sr. and Eric Bledsoe are two key veterans that could be on the trade block, along with Serge Ibaka, who is now in his 13th NBA season. Ibaka is in the final year of his contract and is making $9.7M, but he has never really been a large part of the Clippers’ core rotation because of his injuries.
Now, with all the players Los Angeles currently has out, Ibaka has been consistently seeing about 20 minutes per game behind Ivica Zubac. Trading Serge Ibaka could instantly save the Clippers upwards of $40M in tax money this season, hence why he is definitely a name to watch over the next few weeks in trade talks.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a team who could take on the final year of Ibaka’s deal, but the Dallas Mavericks are a team that could show interest in the veteran big man.
