Clippers Would Be Making a Mistake if They Don't Address Clear Weakness Soon

The Los Angeles Clippers are still awaiting news on the league's investigation into the cap circumvention allegations, but it may be a while before there is a conclusion. However, they can't wait for too long before finalizing their roster for next season.

The Clippers still have to build a competitive roster next season and have the pieces in place to at least be in the Play-In race. But they have a clear weakness that they have to address before they can feel good about their chances.

Clippers Would Set Themselves Up to Fail if They Don't Trade for a Center

That weakness is the center rotation. Brook Lopez, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and Isaiah Jackson are the only centers on the roster. Niederhauser will miss a chunk of the season as he is recovering from foot surgery. Jackson is undersized and is better suited to be a third-stringer. Lopez is 38 years old and can only play limited minutes due to his reduced mobility and athleticism.

The Clippers signed shot-blocking savant Jamarion Sharp to a two-way contract, so he will be an option. But it's difficult to trust a player who has never played an NBA minute to come in and make a difference right away.

It's not like the Clippers have good small-ball center options. They don't have a wing who can play extended minutes at the five. Rui Hachimura and Derrick Jones Jr. could hold their own against some centers in short spurts, but that is not a sustainable strategy.

The problem is that the Clippers don't seem to be targeting a center, either. There have been reports about their interest in Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga and their desire to bring back Bennedict Mathurin. But there haven't been any centers linked to the Clippers, either in free agency or the trade market.

The Clippers currently have one roster spot. If they fill that with Mathurin, Kuminga, or Bradley Beal, they will have to part ways with a player under contract to acquire another center.

Fortunately for them, there are a couple of centers on the trade block who could help them. Myles Turner, Jakob Poeltl, Daniel Gafford, and Goga Bitadze are all considered to be available. Their trade values and therefore what the Clippers would have to give up differ, but they are the types of players LA has to go after.

As they are currently constructed, the Clippers will have a porous perimeter defense. Besides Kris Dunn and Jones Jr., they don't have quality defensive options. They had the 19th-best defensive rating in the league last season. Since then, they replaced Kawhi Leonard and John Collins with Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, Rui Hachimura, and Keaton Wagler, all below-average defenders.

This will put a ton of pressure on the center, who will have to clean up the messes in the back line. Having a capable defensive anchor to deter shots at the rim will be the only way for the Clippers to have a chance at a decent defense.

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