A Familiar Face Could Be the Perfect Clippers Target in Free Agency

The Los Angeles Clippers have big holes to fill and a former player could help fill their biggest one.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein and guard Jalen Williams defend Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It's never fun to be the team on the couch as the NBA playoffs ensue. That's the exact situation the Los Angeles Clippers find themselves in, after they suffered a tough loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

An uncertain offseason lies ahead for the Clippers. Several key contributors are free agents, including John Collins and Bennedict Mathurin. Trade rumors continue to circulate about Kawhi Leonard, despite LA's persistence in building a competitive roster around Leonard and point guard Darius Garland.

While free agency is still a couple of months away, it's never too early to look at potential targets for LA to improve the roster, and a familiar face stands out among the list of free agents.

Clippers Should Pursue Isaiah Hartenstein

There is a bit of a caveat here with Isaiah Hartenstein. The 7'0" center has a team option worth $28.5 million that the Oklahoma City Thunder can choose to keep or decline. If they decline the option, Hartenstein will become an unrestricted free agent.

The Thunder will be up against the second apron this offseason, so moving on from their center may be their only option forward. If he becomes available, the Clippers should absolutely pursue the 27-year-old.

Hartenstein played one season with LA in the 2021-22 season and averaged eight points and four rebounds per game. Since then, his stock has risen quite a bit, and he's been a pivotal piece to Oklahoma City's success. This year, Hartenstein is averaging nine points, nine rebounds, and a block per game.

LA Desperately Needs Center Help

For teams looking for a major piece in unrestricted free agency this summer, they'll likely be out of luck. Many of the top targets are role players, and while they can certainly help a team, this free agency class lacks the star power.

That means if the Clippers are looking to build a championship contender, they have to be aggressive with the top players available. Hartenstein could elevate LA's ceiling significantly. He could play a similar role with the Clippers as he's had with the Thunder. If LA re-signs John Collins, Hartenstein can operate as a rebounding and shot-blocking presence in the paint, while Collins can operate like Chet Holmgren offensively.

Brook Lopez was the lone big man for head coach Ty Lue down the stretch. If this team is going to improve, they need size down low, and Hartenstein could be the perfect answer. It's still unclear if he'll be available this offseason, but fewer players would be a better fit in this system than Hartenstein.