Clippers' Rumored Interest in a Michael Porter Jr. Trade Is a Bad Idea

The Los Angeles Clippers can't afford to be buyers at the trade deadline, regardless of who is available.

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On December 15, players who signed new deals in the offseason become trade-eligible. This means that there will be plenty of new options on the market and trade buzz will get louder.

The Los Angeles Clippers, as the most disappointing team in the league, will naturally be considered a prime trade candidate. While they will certainly make a Chris Paul trade right away, whether they will be buyers or sellers beyond that is currently unknown. On paper, the 14th-seed in the Western Conference should obviously be sellers. In reality, however, Steve Ballmer doesn't operate that way. He may be fine with putting more chips in as part of a win-now move, much to the detriment of the future of the franchise.

One name that has emerged as a potential target in such a scenario is Michael Porter Jr. The Brooklyn Nets forward was mentioned as a possibility for the Clippers by Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, creating a ton of buzz on social media.

Clippers Can't Put More Chips In for This Team

As good as Porter Jr. has been playing this season, trading for him would be a mistake for the Clippers. In this scenario, the Clippers would be parting ways with John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic, while adding a first-round pick to entice the Brooklyn Nets.

The player aspect of this deal is not an issue. Porter Jr. is a clear upgrade and fits nicely next to James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac. He could be a panacea to many of the offensive issues ailing the Clippers with his elite shooting.

The problem is the price it will take to acquire the talented forward. The Clippers are already bereft of assets. They only control their picks from 2030 and 2032, meaning that they can trade a maximum of two first-round picks. They have no blue-chip prospects on the roster. Giving up another first-round pick (possibly more draft capital or a young player may be needed) in a lost season will only put the Clippers in a more dire situation in the future.

The Clippers are in such a hole right now that they need to go 39-19 the rest of the season to get to 45 wins. Even that is probably not good enough for a top-six seed. The Clippers' absolute best-case scenario this season, regardless of who they trade for is a play-in spot. Giving up a potential lottery pick in 2031 so that they can try to get the eighth seed this season to get swept by the OKC Thunder in the first round would be organizational malpractice.

Plus, this is almost certainly the best season Harden and Leonard have left in their careers. The Clippers' odds of being a competitive team going forward will be lower every single season as Harden and Leonard head towards their late 30s. Trying to maximize this season after the team is already out of contention at 6-18 would be an unforgivable mistake, so let's hope that there isn't much to this Michael Porter Jr. rumors.