State of the Free Agent Market Signals Inevitable Clippers Trades

The Los Angeles Clippers' roster looks very different now than it did when their season ended in the Play-In Tournament. Yet, they are still not done. The Clippers have three open roster spots, and they possess the financial flexibility and assets to fill them with quality options.

The problem is that those options are quickly dwindling on the free agent market. The Clippers need to add more size, physicality, and defense to their frontcourt. They have no traditional power forwards on the roster, and their center depth leaves plenty to be desired. There aren't too many good free agents left who can fill these needs for LA.

More Clippers Trades Are Coming Once the Free Agency Dust Settles

Their reported restricted free agent target, Peyton Watson, is a solid option. If they can poach Watson from the Nuggets, he would give them much-needed defense and athleticism, but he is also undersized to play the power forward. If they can't get Watson, the options behind him are bleak.

In terms of forwards, Jonathan Kuminga and Rui Hachimura are the only realistic and rotation-caliber free agents left for the Clippers. LeBron James and Draymond Green are available, but they are presumably not real options for LA.

The center market is even worse. Besides Jalen Duren, who is not a realistic target for the Clippers, there are no surefire rotation players remaining. Restricted free agent Quinten Post and unrestricted FAs Nick Richards and Kevon Looney are the best options left, which should tell us something about the state of the market.

So, the only way the Clippers can make meaningful additions to the frontcourt is through the trade market. Regardless of whether they can sign Peyton Watson or not, the Clippers are going to need to make more moves to fill out their roster. This makes trade activity by the Clippers inevitable.

The Clippers' backcourt is needlessly crowded. After the addition of Gradey Dick, the Clippers have Kris Dunn, Kobe Sanders, and Cam Christie, in addition to Dick, to back up Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler. Even Jordan Miller and Brandon Ingram can play shooting guard and are better at defending smaller players than forwards.

The roster imbalance is clear. At least one of these guards has to be moved to acquire more quality and depth in the frontcourt. Kris Dunn should have some suitors on the market. The Clippers can perhaps turn Dick into a decent power forward by attaching a few second-round picks in a trade.

It's difficult to imagine GM Lawrence Frank entering next season without tinkering with this roster further. Who the Clippers will be willing to part ways with will speak volumes about their plans in the present and the future.

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