With the LA Clippers going out in the Conference Semifinals, what’s the next move? Here are five offseason roster moves they must make.
During the last free agency period, the LA Clippers made a huge splash. They signed Kawhi Leonard and Patrick Patterson. They also traded for Paul George in a deal that cost them their future, both in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the bevy of draft picks.
With the way the Clippers went out in the Western Conference semifinals, it is possible that many fans, and possibly the front office are wondering if it is worth it. The last time a trade like this was made was when the Brooklyn Nets gave up their future to go win now with two of the Boston Celtics big three.
It did not work with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who both had championship experience. How was it then going to work with one star player, Paul George, who has never been past the Conference Finals? On the plus side, there are still two years left of both George’s and Leonard’s deals to make this work.
Should the LA Clippers blow it up or run it back?
When something does not work in sports, there are always a number of options available to a franchise. They could blow it up and trade George in order to get some future assets. However, that would be a mistake.
The Clippers did not have much luck with their two stars this year. Leonard missed 15 games and George missed 24 games. This team was dynamic when both their stars were on the court in the regular season, they struggled when one or both of these two sat.
There was also confusion in the playoff series against the Denver Nuggets as to who got which defensive assignment. This cost the Clippers the series in the end. What this team requires is more time together on the court to build chemistry. With that in mind, let’s look at the five roster moves the LA Clippers need to make.