Well, the Los Angeles Clippers didn’t get THE All-Star point guard, with Kyrie Irving traded to the Dallas Mavericks instead, but that doesn’t mean Paul George and Kawhi Leonard still might not have another star player joining them soon.
With the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline fast approaching, rumors are flying in every which way, and sure enough, the Clippers are included in trade talks. We previously passed along a report from Marc Stein suggesting the Clippers could be looking at trading for Dallas’ Christian Wood or Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell.
Now more reports indicate the team is ramping up their efforts to land Russell and is also watching Toronto’s Fred VanVleet closely, and could trade for one of the two or another starting point guard in the next few days. With VanVleet and Russell both being All-Star guards, we wanted to dive into what a potential Clippers trade for either player could look like ahead of the deadline.
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How a Clippers trade for D’Angelo Russell could work
- Los Angeles Clippers get: D’Angelo Russell
- Minnesota Timberwolves get: Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, 2023 second-round pick
The Timberwolves likely aren’t eager to part with their starting point guard, as much like the Clippers, they are aiming for a postseason berth. Yet, Russell is set for free agency this offseason, and the Timberwolves could be faced with the prospect of losing him without being able to sign another player of his caliber, being that their money is tied up to their core.
Because of Russell’s unknown future in the Twin Cities, the one-time All-Star has been the subject of several trade rumors. As Marc Stein indicates, the Clippers are “looking hard” at D’Angelo Russell and other players on the Timberwolves’ roster.
- D’Angelo Russell stats: 18.1 PPG, 6.2 APG, 3.1 RPG, 38% 3PT, 1.1 SPG
The Clippers would suddenly have yet another true scoring threat who can score at all three levels, whether it’s on the perimeter, from the mid-range, or by drawing fouls when driving the lane. By only parting with Jackson, who’s set for free agency, plus Kennard, their rotation would see an instant boost in scoring.
If the Clippers are deadset on improving their starting point guard situation ahead of the deadline, they could sweeten the offer seen above. We’re not sure the existing package would entice the Wolves enough to break up their starting five mid-season when DLo’s arguably playing some of the best basketball of his career.
Jackson would at least give the Timberwolves another capable ball-handler to replace some of Russell’s minutes, and Kennard would provide insurance next season for Jaylen Nowell, who’s also set for free agency and could possibly then be moved elsewhere ahead of the deadline.
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How a Clippers trade for Fred VanVleet could work
- Los Angeles Clippers get: Fred VanVleet
- Toronto Raptors get: Terance Mann, Norman Powell, Reggie Jackson, 2028 first-round pick, second-round picks in 2023 & 2024
If the Clippers want to form a true big three, all while reuniting Kawhi Leonard with his former Championship teammate on the Raptors, then Fred VanVleet is their guy. While there have been no indications that Toronto is ready to blow up their core any time soon, it sounds like the Clippers would pounce if the 2022 All-Star became available, according to Michael Grange.
For the Clippers, it only makes sense to try and add the 28-year-old scorer, as they already know he would work well with Leonard and would only double as another factor keeping ‘The Claw’ around far past his 2023-24 contract currently calls for. Plus, VanVleet is an excellent player, not only offensively, but he is also sneaky good defensively, especially when it comes to coming up with steals.
- Fred VanVleet stats: 19.7 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 34% 3PT
Again, we’re not sure the Clippers have enough ammo to actually entice the Raptors to part with their star point guard, either. Yet, VanVleet could also potentially leave in free agency, as he has a $22.8 million player option for the 2023-24 season and could easily rake in a bigger payday on the open market.
Acquiring either Russell or VanVleet sounds great as a rumor, but convincing either team to part with their starting point guard, even with their upcoming free agency, may be tougher to pull off. While Russell and VanVleet could walk as free agents, their teams could also negotiate a new contract before departing to a new destination too.
With the Clippers not having a tradeable first-round pick until 2028, they may be largely stuck with the core members they already have on the roster, which is still good enough to reach the playoffs.