Los Angeles Clippers: Is Andrei Kirilenko An Upgrade?

Would Andrei Kirilenko be an upgrade, or would he end up as a Matt Barnes clone at the end of the bench?

Yahoo Sports and  Adrian Wojnarowski are reporting that the Los Angeles Clippers could be interested in Andrei Kirilenko. Here is Wojnarowski reporting:

"The Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers are two contenders with needs at small forward who’ll wait to see if Kirilenko, 33, becomes available closer to the NBA’s trade deadline in February, or after a contract buyout later in the season, league sources said."

Kirilenko currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets, but he has seen a total of only 36 minutes so far this season, and is currently away from the Nets attending to a “family matter.” So any trade for Kirilenko would have to wait until January at the earliest.

That is both good and bad, as it is good because the longer the Nets have to wait to trade Kirilenko, the less they can expect in return for him. It also means any team that acquires Kirilenko only has to worry about the balance of his contract, which shrinks by the day.

However, that also gives teams less time to integrate Kirilenko during the NBA’s hectic regular season. It also means that Kirilenko might not have played basketball for a couple of months prior to joining the Clippers or any other team.

Regardless of the status of Kirilenko, and when he might be available, it is still irrational to think the Clippers are actually interested in him. It was not that long ago that RaptorsRepublic and myself argued over whether the Toronto Raptors could use Kirilenko.

Kirilenko is 33, and has lost much of his athleticism over the years, and he never was much of a long range threat. Still, @RaptorsRepublic made a good point:

Kirilenko does bring positional versatility and good basketball instincts. He is also a stable presence on the court, rarely getting into the kind of scuffles we see all too often at Staples Center.

Still, the Clippers are loaded in the front court, and that is where Kirilenko generally plays at this stage in his career. He is a small ball power forward, but why would Los Angeles need such a player when they have one of the best frontcourt rotations in the league?

It is on the wing that the Clippers need help, and debating over whether Kirilenko would be an upgrade over Matt Barnes is an exercise in futility. They are both older wing players with suspect three point shooting and defensive versatility. Barnes’ strengths are Kirilenko’s strengths. Kirilenko’s weaknesses are Barnes’ weaknesses.

You could certainly talk me into Kirilenko’s intangibles being better than Barnes’, but that is purely in the eye of the beholder.

In the same spirit, it is hard to see Brooklyn deciding that two years of Barnes is better than one year of Kirilenko, given their mandate to reduce payroll, and the rumored, if not confirmed, sale of at least part of the team.

Los Angeles would almost assuredly have to sweeten the deal with draft compensation, which is a ridiculous notion considering Kirilenko could easily end up negotiating a buyout of his contract if there are no bidders by the trade deadline.

If the Clippers really want to take a look at Kirilenko, then they should be patient and hope that the above scenario plays out. Kirilenko does not get traded, secures a buyout from the Nets, and ends up a free agent in late February.

Then Los Angeles could swoop in, offer a prorated veteran’s minimum salary, and take a low risk flyer on Kirilenko, with just more than a month before the playoffs start to integrate him into the rotation.

I am still not a huge fan of the move, but it is at least the kind of low risk maneuver that has paid off for contending teams in the past.

Next: NBA Power Rankings: Where Do The Clippers Rate?