Which Clippers Are Expendable in Los Angeles' Championship Quest?

The Los Angeles Clippers fly high above the rim, which is why they earned the nickname Lob City. But in order to transform into a championship-caliber team, they may need to fly a few players out of Los Angeles in exchange for ones who can help accomplish their goals.

While the team is struggling to match expectations after battling the Oklahoma City Thunder for a spot in the Western Conference Finals last season, it may take some internal changes for those expectations to be met. That means most of the roster should be made available for trade in an attempt to fix the flaws that have continuously plagued the Clippers.

Shaking up a roster full of players who have have forged a tight bond with one another is never easy to do, especially when teams will be targeting players such as Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in potential deals. However, one of those three might need to be dealt in order for the team to fully realize its potential.

Matt Barnes

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The Clippers’ small forward position has been a revolving door for years, but the one mainstay has been Matt Barnes. While he certainly brings energy, hustle and attitude, the results are too inconsistent, and it might be time for a change.

Barnes would be better-suited for a reserve role with the second unit at this stage in his career. Teams are sagging off Barnes to clog the lane and stunt at Blake Griffin when he touches the ball. Barnes' shooting has been solid this season—36.4 percent from three—but teams are willing to give him open looks, knowing that he is a streaky shooter, slanting their defenses toward Griffin and Paul.

Furthermore, Barnes is no longer the type of perimeter defender you can put on an island and expect him to slow down opposing small forwards. His lateral quickness has tailed off, and he is not the athlete he was three or four years ago.

While he may not be the most expendable player on the roster, especially considering there is nobody behind him that head coach Doc Rivers feels comfortable playing extended minutes, his contract is only partially guaranteed next season, and he could be a solid addition to another team’s bench.

Reggie Bullock

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Drafted with the hope he could develop into the Clippers’ 3-and-D wing, Reggie Bullock has had a difficult time earning minutes. This is quite concerning since he has the size, length, shooting and, presumably, defensive potential to solve the team’s problems at small forward.

However, Rivers does not seem to have much faith in the second-year player from North Carolina. Which begs the question: Is he expendable, or is he someone Rivers wants to develop in hopes he eventually breaks into the rotation this season?

Considering the Clippers do not have many future assets, Bullock’s unrealized potential, combined with his affordable rookie contract, might make him an attractive piece to other teams. Conversely, if Rivers does not know what he has in Bullock, the other 29 teams in the league likely do not either.

If Bullock is a player required to complete a deal to upgrade Rivers’ rotation, it seems logical he would be expendable. He is an important piece because of this, along with the possibility he may become the solution to the Clippers’ problems at small forward. He could also not factor into either equation, which would be supremely disappointing.

J.J. Redick

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Should the Clippers have their sights set on a long-term solution at small forward, J.J. Redick could be the player sought after in trade talks. While he is a good fit in Rivers’ system because he works so well off the ball, pulling players toward him due to his shooting as he comes off screens, his flaws are magnified because the team has no small forward to mask his deficiencies.

Redick is a good team defender, but he will never be a perimeter-stopper. According to Basketball-Reference, Redick is a career 1.6 points per 100 possessions below a replacement player on defense. The fact that the Clippers have no reliable perimeter defender, nor one with good length and size, hurts Redick because he is counted upon too much defensively.

Redick can be attacked on the perimeter because teams know the Clippers’ weak-side rotations will be slow to help—which they have been most of the past two seasons—not to mention larger wings can easily back him onto the block.

The problem created by dealing Redick is that Rivers must then rely more on Jamal Crawford and find a new starting shooting guard. Bullock’s struggles were documented on the previous slide, and C.J. Wilcox has yet to play in a game. Rivers would need to trust one of the two young players or clear a roster spot and attempt to sign Ray Allen.

Jamal Crawford

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Crawford is one player on the Clippers that would immediately captivate other teams' executives. His ability to create his own shots when time is running out is extremely valuable. Combine that creation ability with his consistent three-point shooting—career 35.1 percent—and he is a player who can instantaneously improve another team’s bench.

Next, his contract is partially guaranteed next season, meaning he has value on the floor and on the books. This could allow a team to shred unwanted salary along with whomever the Clippers target. Crawford’s talents have been vital to the team’s revival the past three seasons, but at some point the team’s needs might outweigh loyalty.

While losing Crawford would negatively impact the Clippers bench, their ultimate goal of winning the conference might be unachievable if the team does not improve defensively. Considering the team’s lack of future assets, Crawford will likely be required in order to upgrade the small forward position without dealing the team’s core of Paul, Griffin and Jordan.

DeAndre Jordan

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Barring an unforeseen development, Paul and Griffin are not going to be available in trade talks. That leaves DeAndre Jordan as the Clippers’ best asset left. Jordan has notably improved his defense and rebounding—5.8 defensive win shares and a 21.6 defensive rebound percentage, according to Basketball-Reference—since Rivers came to Los Angeles, but he is set to enter free agency this summer and might command more money than the team thinks he is worth.

Additionally, if the rumor started by ClipCast host Mike Jaglin (via Clips Nation) is true, Rivers might have a hard time turning down an offer of “DJ for Al Horford and DeMarre Carroll.”

Al Horford is struggling to return to his All-Star form after tearing his pectoral last season. However, Horford’s shooting, passing, length and defensive ability would be captivating next to Griffin and Paul.

Furthermore, DeMarre Carroll would be a pretty solid upgrade over anyone the Clippers have at small forward. Carroll has improved his jumper and is shooting 40 percent from three this season. He also would fill the perimeter defender role the team has been searching for.

Lest we forget, Jordan is coming off the best season of his career, one that saw him lead the league in rebounding and field-goal percentage. Still, Horford is under contract for an additional season, and the Clippers' biggest need would be filled in Carroll.

Jordan is a vital piece to the Clippers’ puzzle, but he also is their top bargaining chip without breaking up the Griffin-Paul duo. It seems unlikely Rivers will deal his defensive centerpiece, but if the team continues to struggle, it becomes more of a possibility.