Clippers Can Find Ideal Trade Target in Bulls' Crowded Guard Rotation

The Los Angeles Clippers have an ideal trade partner in the Chicago Bulls ahead of the deadline.

Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers have embarked on a new era without James Harden. Whether the surprise Harden trade will augur more departures in the rest of the roster remains to be seen, but the Clippers only have 24 hours left before the deadline. If the Clippers want to keep their core together and see how far the Darius Garland-Kawhi Leonard-Ivica Zubac trio can take them this season, they have to make more trades.

An ideal trade partner for the Clippers after Harden's departure is the Chicago Bulls.

Bulls Have What the Clippers Are Looking for Before Trade Deadline

The Bulls have been one of the most active teams of the deadline so far. They traded Nikola Vucevic to the Celtics for Anfernee Simons and moved on from Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric to acquire Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley. This means that they have a ridiculously deep guard rotation, and there will be more trades.

Right now, the Bulls have Simons, Josh Giddey, Coby White, Conley, Ivey, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones on their roster. That is seven players who can play point guard. It's safe to assume that at least two of those players will not be with the Bulls past Thursday.

Conley is a buyout candidate. He can be an option for the Clippers on the buyout market, but he may not have much to give at this stage of his career. What the Clippers really need to do is target one of Jones, Dosunmu, or White on the trade market.

Dosunmu and White will be free agents this summer. Chicago's additions to the guard rotation suggest that they will be willing to part ways with both players for the right price. White is the better offensive player as he can score in a variety of ways. Dosunmu is a better defender and can do a little bit of everything on offense. Jones is a more traditional pass-first point guard, a prototype that doesn't exist on the Clippers' roster.

All three guards make between $7.5 million and $12.8 million this season, meaning that matching salaries in a trade is not going to be too complicated. The Clippers could send Bogdan Bogdanovic's expiring salary and a first-round pick to acquire one of them.

Yes, the Clippers got Garland back in a Harden trade. While that may be a long-term win for LA, it creates an immediate need. One of the most durable players in the league, Harden rarely missed any games, played over 35 minutes per game, and had a usage rate that Garland has never hit in his career. Plus, Garland is currently dealing with a toe injury that could keep him out for longer.

To make up for Harden's departure and help integrate Garland into the starting lineup slowly, the Clippers need more guard play. A point guard who can take some of the offensive burden off Leonard while Garland is back to 100% would do wonders for the Clippers. The best way for GM Lawrence Frank to find that player is by giving the Chicago Bulls a call before 3 pm on Thursday.