Should L.A. Clippers Make Desperate Playoff Push or Trade DeAndre Jordan?

LOS ANGELES — When forward Blake Griffin suffered a knee injury in November, it looked like the season was over for the Los Angeles Clippers.

At the time, the team was 8-11 with Patrick Beverley done for the year with a knee injury and both Danilo Gallinari (glute) and Milos Teodosic (foot) out for extended periods.

Without Griffin, the timing seemed ripe for the Clippers to start a full teardown to focus on lottery position for June's NBA draft.

Instead, the team stuck together with strong performances from Austin Rivers, DeAndre Jordan and the perma-hot Lou Williams. After Thursday night's 127-117 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Clippers are still just two games out of a playoff berth, behind both the 19-18 Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans.

The Clippers went toe-to-toe with the Thunder, led by Jordan with a huge 26-point, 17-rebound night. It was easy to envision this team making a playoff run.

Teodosic's conspicuous absence in the second half could be cause for concern moving forward. The team's public relations department quickly informed reporters that the 30-year-old rookie was suffering from a soreness in his plantar fascia—the same issue that kept him out for two months earlier in the season.

While coach Doc Rivers called Teodosic day-to-day, the team also announced earlier Thursday that Austin Rivers will be out for at least two weeks with a posterior right ankle impingement. Meanwhile, Gallinari is probably sidelined for another 10 days, if not longer. Lucas Hann of Clips Nation tweeted:

The Teodosic injury should put the Clippers in soul-searching mode yet again.

How valuable is a playoff push? Can the team credibly compete in the first round against the likes of the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs or Golden State Warriors?

The Clippers may be just four games behind the fifth-place Thunder, but they're only six ahead of the last-place Los Angeles Lakers (11-26).

There's an argument to be made that the Clippers should fully embrace a lottery-bound season.

An impressive list of prospects is expected to headline the 2018 draft class, including centers Deandre Ayton (Arizona) and Mohamed Bamba (Texas), point guards Trae Young (Oklahoma) and Collin Sexton (Alabama), and forwards Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri) and Marvin Bagley III (Duke), to name a few.

The Clippers could certainly use an infusion of high-level talent after Chris Paul essentially forced a trade to the Rockets over the offseason. The draft may be the absolute best way for the Clippers to restock.

That begs the question: If the team prioritizes the draft, are these the final days of Jordan's tenure with the franchise? Will he opt into the final year of his contract at $24.1 million for 2018-19? Do the Clippers plan on re-signing him if he opts out, or is he a serious flight risk?

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

While Jordan told Bleacher Report in November that he was "happy here" in Los Angeles with the Clippers, the team might be better off looking to move Jordan before the February 8 trade deadline. Several teams would have interest, like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards and/or Milwaukee Bucks.

If the Clippers keep him long-term, they'll have most of their budget invested in Griffin, Gallinari and Jordan, with limited flexibility to build around that core.

Add in a high pick in June and perhaps a package from the Wizards for Jordan like swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. and center Marcin Gortat?

The Clippers need to at least explore every available option.

If the team believes it can stay competitive and that Jordan should and will remain a long-term fixture with the organization, the Clippers don't have much flexibility to get through the rest of the season.

Los Angeles is roughly $123,000 below the league's luxury tax. If the Clippers cross that threshold, they are subject to the league's repeater tax.

That may not be an issue for owner Steve Ballmer. But is that wise if the team isn't a true contender in the Western Conference? Or do the Clippers disagree with that assessment of their chances?

The immediate issue is adding a ball-handler if Teodosic is out for any significant length of time. Los Angeles has one open roster spot, but that was pegged for current starting shooting guard C.J. Williams, who is near the end of his NBA eligibility on a two-way contract.

Williams has proved to be a productive role player and motivated defender, but keeping him on the roster will push the Clippers to the maximum of 15 players and into the luxury tax.

If it needs to add a guard, look for Los Angeles to aggressively shop forward Brice Johnson to a team with the means to absorb his $1.3 million contract without sending a guaranteed player back in return.

A team like the Chicago Bulls would probably be happy to take in $2 million to $3 million in cash to take on Johnson (whom they could either keep or waive outright), but the Clippers have already sent out a total of $4.6 million in cash to the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks in deals that brought in Gallinari and Jawun Evans, while dumping DeAndre Liggins, according to Basketball Insiders.

The maximum teams can pay out this season is $5.1 million, giving the Clippers just $487,389 left to offer, which may not be enough to get Johnson off the books without including a draft consideration, like a second-round pick.

If money is not a concern, Los Angeles can just cut Johnson outright and pay the tax.

The Rockets are expected to waive Bobby Brown in order to keep swingman Gerald Green for the rest of the season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Clippers could claim Brown off waivers, but that would add $1.5 million to their salary cap.

What choice do the Clippers have if they're committed to a playoff run?

Then again, they could just hand the ball to Evans, let him start and embrace the draft lottery.

"I like that the young guys are playing, that always helps, but I'd probably prefer Patrick Beverley and Austin and Milos," Rivers said.

Teodosic has the court vision to get players like Griffin and Jordan the ball where they can easily score. Rivers isn't a true point guard, but he puts pressure on defenses by regularly attacking the basket.

Rivers can also defend either backcourt position. Beverley is one of the top defenders in the league. Without Gallinari, the team is missing yet another scorer.

On paper, it could have worked, but unfortunately for the Clippers, they just haven't had the gift of health this year.

Time to decide if the war is worth waging in the form of luxury taxes and risk that Jordan exits in free agency this summer without the Clippers getting anything in return.

Or should they cut their losses, accept the season for what it is and start planning for life without their All-Star center.

The mounting injuries may inevitably make those decisions on the Clippers' behalf.

UPDATE: On Friday, the Clippers waived two-way player Jamil Wilson to call up point guard Tyrone Wallace from the G League's Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario to a two-way contract. Wallace is a 6'5", 23-year-old lefty who notched the basketball equivalent to hitting for the cycle, a five-by-five performance with 26 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and five blocks in a December 18 win over the Reno Bighorns.

As a two-way with the Clippers, Wallace should be eligible for 24 days on the roster (including practice and some travel time). The Clippers can use their open roster spot to keep C.J. Williams while Wallace fills in for however long Teodosic is out, but a new deal for Williams would still have luxury-tax implications. Wallace's two-way contract has no direct impact on the Clippers' team salary.

All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Email Eric Pincus at [e-mail] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.