What the Clippers Actually Need at the Trade Deadline — And What They Don't

The Los Angeles Clippers are winning. They can't risk their momentum by trading for an ill-fitting veteran.

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With less than two weeks left before the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Clippers are in a fascinating situation. They have righted the ship by winning 13 of their last 16 games, but remain in tenth place in the Western Conference. Do they see themselves as contenders and go for it at the deadline, or acknowledge that they are in the play-in race and largely stand pat?

The most likely approach Lawrence Frank & Co. will have is somewhere in the middle. It's hard to see the Clippers going all-in and trading both of their remaining first-round picks. But, they will surely try to change some of the pieces around the James Harden-Kawhi Leonard-Ivica Zubac trio. Chris Paul, Bogdan Bogdanovic, John Collins, and Brook Lopez are tradeable pieces that the Clippers can move before February 5.

The more important conversation here is about what the Clippers need if they were to be buyers at the deadline. There have been plenty of trade targets connected to the Clippers by team insider Tomer Azarly, like Anfernee Simons, Coby White, and Collin Sexton, as well as earlier reports of an interest in DeMar DeRozan. While a roster upgrade is needed, not all of these options are what the Clippers should be looking for.

What the Clippers Need at the Trade Deadline: Shooting, Athleticism, Defense

The Clippers have a very strong starting trio in Harden, Leonard, and Zubac. The upgrades are needed around them. There are solid role players like Nicolas Batum, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kris Dunn around them, but the Clippers are lacking in two-way players. Jones and Dunn are very good defensive players, but their offensive games are a liability at the highest level. Batum is the closest player to a two-way force, but he can't play too many minutes at this stage of his career.

This team is lacking in elite shooting. Harden and Leonard make it work with limited spacing, but a solid shooter who has some off-ball gravity would do wonders for this offense.

That player also has to defend at a reasonable level. A prototypical three-and-D type of perimeter player is exactly what the Clippers need.

When your two best players are in their mid-30s, and most of your rotation is in their 30s, speed and athleticism become an issue. The Clippers have been struggling in transition all season and are overmatched athletically on most nights. Derrick Jones Jr.'s return from injury will help, but adding another player who can defend multiple positions and provide athleticism would be a godsend.

None of the names that have been speculated as Clippers targets fits the bill exactly, but Coby White is probably the closest thing. The Bulls guard is a very good off-ball player and can shoot the ball at a high clip. He would add nice pace and transition elements to this team, but doesn't necessarily check the boxes defensively. Yet, he would immediately become a key piece of the rotation.

What the Clippers Don't Need at the Trade Deadline: Aging Veterans, On-Ball Scorers

A DeMar DeRozan-type player is exactly what the Clippers don't need. LA needs to stay away from aging veterans who need the ball in their hands to be effective. Harden and Leonard are already elite shot creators and playmakers. The focus needs to be on supplementing them with the necessary shooting and athleticism, neither of which DeRozan provides.

Plus, the Clippers can't afford to add any more one-way players. The lack of two-way players has hurt the Clippers in the past, and the priority has to be acquiring players who can play on both ends of the floor.

This doesn't have to be a high-end player that would require significant draft capital to acquire. Players like Keon Ellis, Jose Alvarado, or Ayo Dosunmu, who can shoot well enough and defend competently without breaking the bank, would help elevate the Clippers to another level.