The LA Clippers could be looking to shake things up a little bit before the 2021 NBA trade deadline. One spot on the roster they could look to add to is in the frontcourt, specifically the center position.
Right now, the only two big men consistently in the rotation for the Clippers are Serge Ibaka and Ivica Zubac. Nicolas Batum and Marcus Morris will play minutes at power forward, along with Kawhi Leonard in some alignments, but the team could use some more depth there. Luckily for them, there are plenty of potential options available.
The team could explore the possibility of signing someone such as DeMarcus Cousins, who was waived by the Houston Rockets in a show of good faith. They could also explore a trade, with Andre Drummond being a potential option.
Drummond and the Cleveland Cavaliers agreed that he would remain away from the team until they figured out his playing future. It won’t be in Cleveland, as they will either trade him away or buy him out.
One proposed trade with the Clippers is this. LA would receive Drummond, while the Cavaliers would receive Patrick Beverley, Marcus Morris Sr., the Clippers 2022 second-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks via the Clippers and the Clippers’ 2027 first-round pick.
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If the Cavaliers could land not one, not two, but three future picks for Andre Drummond, they will race to the phones to get this deal sent to the league office.
Yes, Morris just signed a four-year, $64 million contract, but given the stage of rebuilding the Cavaliers are at, he would help provide veteran leadership and 3-point shooting. He could also be flipped later on for more assets, just as the New York Knicks did last year at the NBA trade deadline.
Beverley would also help fill a mentor role with Cleveland, helping their young backcourt duo of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland. His defensive mindset would also be welcome with open arms to the roster.
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For the Clippers, they would get some insurance on the interior, giving them another big body to bang with other centers around the league. However, it is hard to imagine them forking over a package like that unless they get extremely motivated, or desperate, to get out from Morris’ deal and clear some cap space.
A smaller-scaled trade that doesn’t involve so many future assets is more likely the avenue that LA looks to go down.
