4 Stars Who Could Emerge as Potential Clippers Targets After Early Playoff Exits

The first round of the NBA Playoffs is about to wrap up, and there may be some massive upsets. Unexpected first-round exits from a few title contenders could bring about significant shakeups. This means that there may be new stars available on the trade market in the offseason. Who are some of the candidates who may end up on the trade block if they come up short in the playoffs?

Jalen Duren

The Detroit Pistons are on the verge of losing to the No.8 seed Orlando Magic in the first round. Anytime a 60-win team plays well below expectations in the playoffs, radical changes can be expected. Especially when Duren's inability to make an impact offensively has been a big reason for the disappointment.

Duren has taken a big step towards stardom this season, earning his first All-Star nod. He could be announced as an All-NBA player soon. He was an incredibly efficient, high-volume scorer all season, but that hasn't translated to the playoffs. He has been outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr. all series.

This will be a big concern for the Pistons in contract extension negotiations this offseason. Duren is a free agent and will likely be asking for a maximum contract. If he makes All-NBA, that is 30% of the salary cap, which is a five-year, $287 million deal. If he doesn't make an All-NBA team, he is still eligible for a five-year, $239 million deal.

If the Pistons hesitate, Duren will have suitors. The Clippers could very well be one of those. LA has a massive hole at center, and bringing Duren in would take care of that for the next decade.

The Clippers can either try to sign Duren outright by creating cap space or engage the Pistons in a sign-and-trade. Regardless, LA should have an interest in giving the maximum possible offer for Duren. Whether that would be enough to lure him away from Detroit remains to be seen.

Mikal Bridges

If the Knicks lose in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks, there will certainly be wholesale changes in New York. Anyone not named Jalen Brunson could find himself out the door.

Karl-Anthony Towns could be a Clippers option as well, but he is due $57 million next season, making his salary very difficult to fit next to Garland and Leonard. Matching salaries in a trade would be a challenge even with the Clippers' cap space.

What is more feasible is a trade for Mikal Bridges. Despite having a down season, the 29-year-old small forward is the type of three-and-D wing that the Clippers need.

Alperen Sengun

The Rockets are on the brink of elimination against the Lakers. A loss to the Lakers without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves while having home-court advantage will be considered such a disaster that nothing should be ruled out in Houston.

This includes trading away their two-time All-Star center. Sengun fits in LA as the long-time starter at center. Making only $35.6 million next season and under contract for three more seasons after that, the Turkish big man is on a team-friendly deal.

Sengun would require a big haul to acquire. He could be a part of any potential deals for Garland or Leonard, but the Clippers could very well try to pair him with their superstar duo by giving up multiple first-round picks. As an offensive hub and shot creator who has taken serious steps forward defensively, Sengun would make a lot of sense with the Clippers.

Kevin Durant

There is already some trade buzz surrounding KD, but what is new? The basketball mercenary may be on the move once again if Houston comes up short in the playoffs. The Clippers have been speculated as a potential landing spot for Durant.

Whether it's a good idea is a different question, but the Clippers certainly have the resources to make it happen.

Durant's $43.9 million salary for next season makes it plausible for the Clippers to acquire him without giving up Garland and Leonard. They could include Bennedict Mathurin or John Collins in a sign-and-trade, or move a combination of Derrick Jones Jr., Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Brook Lopez in a deal. Durant would presumably welcome a move to build a Garland-Leonard-KD trip in LA, but the 37-year-old forward should have plenty of suitors on the market in this scenario.

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