Clippers Trade Rumors: Fred VanVleet a More Likely LAC Target than Mike Conley

The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly more interested in Fred VanVleet than Mike Conley if they are going to address the point guard position ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

"Conley to the Clippers, I can tell you that that one is, I think, unlikely to happen because I don't know if the Clippers are willing to throw in that first-round pick," ESPN's Tim MacMahon said during a conversation with Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post podcast (29:15 mark).

"If they are for a point guard, I think it's more likely VanVleet than it is for Conley."

While the Clippers have dealt with inconsistency and times when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are not on the floor, they are still in solid position with a 28-25 record.

That is good enough for fourth place in the Western Conference standings, and there is room for improvement with an upgrade to a point guard depth chart that includes Reggie Jackson, John Wall, Terance Mann and Jason Preston.

Preston, an unheralded second-year player, played 37 minutes during Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game where the Clippers were short-handed.

There was a time when having someone like Wall would mean point guard was anything but a position of need, but the five-time All-Star has dealt with a number of injuries of late and is no longer the same explosive playmaker he was in his prime.

VanVleet is someone who is accustomed to playing alongside Leonard since they both helped lead the Toronto Raptors to the NBA championship during the 2018-19 campaign. He is also a willing distributor and is averaging 6.5 assists per game this season.

Yet the Wichita State product can also assume a scoring role on nights when Leonard or George are sidelined.

He posted a career-best 20.3 points per game last season and is averaging 19.1 points this season for a Raptors squad that may look to sell at the deadline following an inconsistent 23-28 start that has them on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

VanVleet can be a third scorer in the playoffs, is a postseason-tested veteran who has won a championship with one of the Clippers' go-to options and would address a position of need for a potential title contender in Los Angeles. That is a good recipe for a trade and one that is apparently more likely than a deal for Conley.