1 Big Strength and 1 Big Weakness for the Clippers After Free Agency

The Los Angeles Clippers are in the midst of an odd dilemma this offseason. Following a tough finish to the year by missing the playoffs, the Clippers tried to end the Kawhi Leonard era by trading him to the Toronto Raptors.

However, the trade involving LA's haul of Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and several draft picks has been put on hold by the league until the cap circumvention investigation ends.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have been busy retooling the roster for next season. Here are a couple of strengths and weaknesses that have developed this summer.

Strength: Versatility at the Forward Position

It sounds a bit ironic to say the Clippers' strength is at forward after trading Leonard. However, Lawrence Frank has done a solid job of rebuilding that position group.

Ingram is projected to be one of LA's top scorers. The 28-year-old has averaged 20 or more points per game in seven straight seasons. He's a high-volume shooter, but Ingram is a terrific individual scorer and excels in the mid-range game.

Then, LA signed former Lakers forward Rui Hachimura to a two-year, $28 million deal. The 6'8" forward emerged as an effective scorer in the postseason, scoring 20+ points in four games. He'll bring positional versatility to the rotation.

The Clippers also have Derrick Jones Jr. and Jordan Miller off the bench. Those are formidable players that Ty Lue can turn to. They lack physicality and size, but LA has a solid grouping of forwards.

Weakness: Lack of a Dominant 1A Player

When you trade a player of Leonard's caliber, it will leave a gaping hole in the franchise. There are only a handful of players who can carry a team or become the "alpha" player who commands an entire defense's attention.

Sure, Darius Garland and Ingram have carved out solid careers thus far, but neither player has been tasked with being the "guy" on a playoff team. In New Orleans, Ingram assumed a top-scoring role, but he had help around him. Garland had plenty of talented players with him in Cleveland.

The Clippers have a solid rotation of players, but they don't have an option who can go toe-to-toe with someone like Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, etc. That ultimately is the difference between being a playoff or a play-in team in the Western Conference.

They also lack serious frontcourt depth. Brook Lopez, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and Isaiah Jackson remain the centers on the roster. While they each possess different strengths, none of them can be counted on to be a consistent and reliable option at center.

LA has one final roster spot to fill, and that could go to a center. It's been a summer of change for the Clippers, but they should remain competitive next season.

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