Being three games above .500, the Los Angeles Clippers are on track to make the playoffs in the Western Conference as the fifth seed. But with just four games separating the third seed and the 11th in the West, reaching the postseason is no sure thing at this stage in the year.
One would expect a natural surge later in the year if both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can remain in the starting lineup, but it appears the Clippers may want to make contingency plans instead.
As trade rumors ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 9 deadline continue to fly, the Clippers are one of the teams frequently linked to players who could be on the move. Two of those players include All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who is on an expiring contract worth $31.3 million. Another is power forward Christian Wood from the Dallas Mavericks, who is also on an expiring contract worth $14.3 million.
According to Marc Stein, the Mavericks are keeping tabs on the status of both players as the NBA trade deadline approaches and are interested in possibly upgrading both the frontcourt and the backcourt. Russell and Wood both have their flaws on defense, but their ability to score is unquestioned, with both averaging north of 18 points per game.
Both the Timberwolves and Mavericks are facing a cap crunch and may not want to pay the price needed to keep either player once they reach free agency, likely driving each individual’s price up in an ever-inflating market.
In turn, both teams could be open to exchanging their expiring talent for other win-now pieces that can potentially help them for more than just the remainder of the 2023-24 season. If so, the Clippers could come calling, who have a plethora of capable talent similarly on expiring contracts or valuable contributors who are locked in for more than one season. Whether they have an offer enticing enough for either the Timberwolves or Mavericks to bite remains to be seen.