5 Potential Small Forward Trade Targets for Los Angeles Clippers to Chase
So far through the 2014-15 NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers appear to have no fewer than two clear weaknesses: on the wing and off the bench. Per Hoops Stats, the Clippers rank dead-last in the league in defending opposing small forwards and near the bottom third in bench scoring.
All indications are that head coach/team president Doc Rivers won't be sacrificing the latter to save the former. According to CBS Sports' Ken Berger, the Clippers are disinclined to move Jamal Crawford, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year and the only consistently productive member of their second unit, prior to February's trade deadline.
That doesn't leave LA with many chips to toss onto the table. The team's first-rounders in 2015 and 2017 are already betrothed to the Boston Celtics (for Rivers) and Milwaukee Bucks (to offload Jared Dudley), respectively. Because of the Ted Stepien Rule, which prevents teams from trading away consecutive first-round picks, the Clippers can't send out another first-rounder prior to draft day until 2019.
They're not exactly rolling in second-rounders, either. In fact, they own just one such selection (2017) over the next four years.
And that's just one of the walls comprising the corner into which Rivers has backed the Clippers since he arrived in the summer of 2015. The current payroll—just over $79 million, now that Jared Cunningham has been dumped on the Philadelphia 76ers, per Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski—leaves them not only well over the salary cap but also far enough into the luxury tax to be hard-capped. As such, the Clippers can't take on more money than they send out in a deal, though small trade exceptions and cash considerations could help.
In any case, the Clippers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They need someone who can hit threes, do the dirty work and defend the likes of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and Chandler Parsons more reliably than Matt Barnes, Reggie Bullock and Chris Douglas-Roberts have. But the resources needed to snag such an asset are either already out the door or too valuable to give up.
Still, with some clever accounting and creative persuasion, the Clippers could find a way to acquire one of these five wings, each of whom is either toiling on a bad team, an afterthought on the bench or both.
Jeff Green, Boston Celtics
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Jeff Green's name has been connected to the Clippers since at least mid-December, per USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:
"Perceived as sellers, Celtics have received inquiries about Jeff Green from Clippers, Pelicans, Grizzlies but Cs not interested in offers.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) December 18, 2014 "
In reality, the connection between Green and LA runs much deeper than that. The seventh-year forward, known best for his Jekyll-and-Hyde act on the offensive end, has been with the Boston Celtics in some capacity for the past four-and-a-half years, the first two-and-a-half of which came during Doc Rivers' waning days in Beantown. Hence, Rivers is familiar with Green, and Green, in turn, knows how to play for Doc.
It helps too, that the two shared a close connection back in Boston.
"The main reason I came back to Boston was because of Doc," Green told ESPNBoston.com's Jackie MacMullan back when Rivers was dealt to LA, "but I understand things change. Not everything goes as planned. We had injuries, and some other things, that altered our team.
"You can’t predict the future. I really enjoyed playing for Doc. We have a great relationship."
Prying Green from the C's would be particularly tricky for the Clips, though, despite Rivers' strong rapport with Boston general manager Danny Ainge. According to Yahoo Sports, Ainge is seeking a package for Green that would bring back a first-round pick, and the Clippers don't have any to offer until 2019.
And then there's the not-so-small matter of Green's $9.445 million salary. Matching that money without severely weakening some other aspect of his squad would be nigh on impossible for Rivers and the rest of his front-office brain trust.
Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets
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For a cheaper, younger and more athletic alternative to Green on the wing, the Clippers could turn to the Denver Nuggets to gauge their willingness to move Wilson Chandler.
After five years spent battling injuries, Chandler appears to have finally found his way out of the woods. He's played in every game for the Nuggets this season, chipping in 14.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for good measure.
To hear Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes describe him, Chandler might just be the perfect fit for the Clips:
"Chandler is huge for a perimeter player, 6'8" and rangy. He's a decent three-point shooter, can handle the ball a bit and has the length to bother matchups at multiple positions. Best of all, he makes a reasonable $6.8 million this year and $7.1 million in 2015-16 before his contract expires.
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That sort of salary would still require Rivers to make some not-quite-Hillary-Clinton-level hard choices. And there's no guarantee that the Clippers even have the assets to satisfy Denver's demands. But given LA's needs and Chandler's abilities, the two would seem like peas in a potent pod.
Andrei Kirilenko, Philadelphia 76ers
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Doc Rivers has made a habit of picking up players who peaked back when his Celtics were serious title contenders. Last season alone, Rivers brought in Glen Davis, Hedo Turkoglu, Danny Granger, Stephen Jackson, Antawn Jamison and Sasha Vujacic for auditions, with only Davis and Turkoglu sticking around for 2014-15.
Andrei Kirilenko would fit all too comfortably into that category. His most recent quality campaign came in 2012-13 with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he hasn't really been relevant since he last played for the Utah Jazz, prior to his one-season stint in his home country of Russia.
Now 33, Kirilenko has spent most of his time over the past season-and-a-half battling injuries and personal issues off the court. He would seem a clear buyout candidate since the Brooklyn Nets traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers, though according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers don't want to let him go so easily:
"The Sixers want Kirilenko to start working his way back into playing condition and eventually be activated to play in games. Ultimately, this could set up the opportunity for Philadelphia to deal Kirilenko for an asset at the NBA’s February trade deadline, or let him reclaim his market value for free agency this summer. Nevertheless, it is unlikely the Sixers would keep Kirilenko past the trade deadline – either hunting down a way to deal him for an asset, or simply waiving him.
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The Clippers, then, could take their chances and wait for Philly to cut Kirilenko loose in February. Should the need and competition for Kirilenko's services reach critical mass before then, the Clippers could probably convince Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, a veritable hoarder of second-round picks (he's owed 10 such picks between now and 2020, per Basketball Insiders), to part ways with AK-47 for a second-rounder.
As for Kirilenko's $3.3 million take? That shouldn't be too tough to slide into LA's crowded cap sheet.
Wesley Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
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It's been more than three decades since the Clippers pulled off a trade with the rival Los Angeles Lakers. Back in October of 1983, the Clippers pried Norm Nixon, Eddie Jordan and a pair of second-round picks—one of which eventually yielded Jeff Hornacek—from the Lakers in exchange for Swen Nater and Byron Scott.
Scott, who went on to win three titles with the Showtime Lakers, is now their coach. As such, he'd probably be opposed to any move that would weaken his roster.
Strange as it may seem, Wesley Johnson's departure would be just that for the purple and gold. He's hit a career-best 37.7 percent of his threes, including 39.5 percent of his corner tries, per Basketball Reference, while playing his usual brand of long-armed, athletic defense on the other end.
That uptick in production could earn Johnson a decent payday in July, when he's due to hit free agency. In the meantime, the Lakers would do well to take advantage of Johnson's rise in value—assuming his current hip injury doesn't linger—especially if they can extract something from their Staples Center co-tenants.
On the Clippers' end, Johnson's near-minimum salary ($981,084) shouldn't be too difficult to sneak onto their balance sheet. If nothing else, it sure beats trying to carve out several million more in cap space—and giving away a key piece or two in the process.
Jeremy Lamb, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Dion Waiters' arrival has left the Oklahoma City Thunder with a logjam on the wing. Beyond the superstar tandem of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, head coach Scott Brooks will have to determine how best to dole out minutes between Andre Roberson, the incumbent starter; Reggie Jackson, a poor man's Westbrook; Perry Jones, who could be the same in relation to Durant; Anthony Morrow, a sharpshooter with an allergy to defense; and Waiters.
And that's before Jeremy Lamb's name so much as creeps into the conversation. He has been stuck on the wrong end of Brooks' yo-yo of sadness ever since he came into the NBA in 2012-13.
That hasn't changed this season, Lamb's third as a pro. He played in 15 of OKC's first 20 games of the campaign, averaging 12.4 points in 26.3 minutes and hitting a sizzling 43.9 percent from three during that span. Since then, Lamb did not play four times—two on account of a sore foot—in 15 games and managed a mere 3.5 points on 26 percent shooting from the field in 11 minutes across the other 11.
He might not be any more effective in LA than he's been in OKC, but a fresh start under a new coach could be what the Doc ordered. At the very least, Lamb should be there for the taking, assuming the Clippers can pave the way for his $2.2 million salary.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
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