Los Angeles Clippers: 4 Biggest Needs That Need to Be Addressed in the Draft

The Los Angeles Clippers have built their current roster to win right now. 

As in this season.

Obviously, the Chris Paul trade was their major transaction, but the Clippers filled out a large chunk of their remaining roster with veterans on expiring deals, culminating with the trade-deadline acquisition of Nick Young.

The upside of this sort of roster construction is that the Clippers aren't saddled with any bad contracts and have the pieces in place to make a run at a title this year.

The downside is there are a lot of holes for the team to fill this offseason.

Here are four areas that the Clippers need to address in the upcoming 2012 NBA draft.

1. Wings

The Clippers traded for Nick Young in the first place because they lacked size on the wings, particularly at the shooting guard spot. 

However, Young's acquisition is but a temporary solution.

Young's contract comes off the books at the end of this season. As do the deals of Chauncey Billups and Randy Foye, the other two players who have started at shooting guard for the Clippers this season. 

The Clips will surely try to lure a free-agent 2-guard over if they can, but with Caron Butler and Ryan Gomes as their only wing players under contract heading into next year, the draft will provide the team with a possible avenue to attaining a cheaper, long-term solution.

2. Size

With DeAndre Jordan being the only Clipper taller than 6'10'', the Clips are severely undersized.

Blake Griffin is able to make up for his lack of inches in height with inches on his vertical. Aside from that, the Clippers addressed their size issues this year by signing gritty veterans Kenyon Martin and Reggie Evans to one-year deals.

Come next season, the Clippers will again be desperate for size in the frontcourt.

Trey Thompkins, a second-round pick in 2011, may be called upon for additional duties and the team will certainly shop around for big men in free agency. The Clippers should also use the 2012 draft to try and unearth another late gem like they did with Jordan.

3. Shooting

Three-point shooting is a large part of the Clippers' offensive arsenal. 

Chris Paul is extremely adept at setting up shooters in their favorite spots, and Blake Griffin excels at finding the open man on the perimeter out of double teams.

Spacing and ball movement have led the Clippers to making the fifth-most threes in the NBA this year. However, three of their top-five long-range gunners will no longer be under contract at season's end.

It's always dangerous to pay big money for free-agent snipers. Look at the bad contracts handed out recently to guys like Jason Kapono and Mike Miller.

The draft is a safer way to add shooting to a squad, as terrific outside shooting in college typically translates to the pro game. A second-round pick with a shooter's pedigree could really make an impact for the Clips in 2013.

4. Depth

I know it sounds obvious, but that doesn't mean it isn't important.

If Mo Williams picks up his option for next season, the Clippers will still only have nine players under contract. That may sound like a decent amount, but three of those guys haven't even sniffed Vinny Del Negro's rotation this year.

The Clippers will have decent cap space going into the offseason, but most of that is reserved for the extension that the team will surely offer Blake Griffin. Plus, team owner Donald Sterling is notoriously stingy when it comes to splashing the cash in free agency.

That means the front office will lean on the draft to try and squeeze out some talent from the dregs of the draft pool and add depth to their thin squad.