Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
LA Clippers Acquire Justin Patton, Four Second-Round Picks in Finalized Three-Team Trade
The LA Clippers made a surprising move to acquire Luke Kennard from the Detroit Pistons on draft night, but there's a bit more than meets the eye with this trade.
On Thursday night, the franchise officially announced the finalized deal — and the Clippers came away with a bit more than was originally suspected.
In addition to Kennard, LA will also acquire Justin Patton — the 16th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft — and four future second-round picks.
Those picks, per the release: 2023 (via Portland Trail Blazers), 2024, 2025 and 2026 via Detroit.
The Clippers also landed Jay Scrubb as part of the deal, which was suspected after LA swapped its 57th overall pick in Reggie Perry with the Brooklyn Nets.
In total, LA traded away Landry Shamet, Rodney McGruder and cash considerations in the three-team deal.
Despite Patton's high selection in the 2017 draft, the best asset returned from this deal (outside of Kennard) will likely end up being the second-round selections. The Pistons aren't expected to improve much over the next several years, meaning those picks have a good chance of landing in the low-to-mid 30s. Not only does that make them valuable pieces to tack onto a potential trade, but LA could always find a solid player in that range should the franchise choose to keep them.
Patton has appeared in just eight games in the past three seasons, holding career averages of 1.8 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. He was coveted for his defensive ability coming out of college, but the former first-round pick hasn't panned out yet in the big leagues.
The Clippers may hang onto Patton, but he doesn't have a great chance of making the roster. It seems more likely that LA would assign him to the G League or move him in a future deal.
