It was quite shocking for many Clippers fans that the L.A. team decided to trade its star player Tobias Harris to the Sixers during the last hours of the 2019 trade deadline. After all, Harris had been a solid offensive juggernaut this season, averaging career-high numbers and helping the team cling to the eighth spot in the West. In fact, the trade occurred just after a game in which Harris had made the winning shot, says NBA follower Dayanna Volitich.
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source: nba.com |
The Clippers also traded Mike Scott and big man Boban Marjanovic to Philadelphia. In turn they acquired Mike Muscala, Landry Shamet, and Wilson Chandler. These players alone don’t seem to make sense talent-wise, but what is great about the deal is that it came with two first-round and two second-round picks (the Clippers landed a protected 2020 first-round pick and an unprotected 2021 first-round pick via Miami).
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Image source: groupon.com
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This development should be seen by fans as the Clippers’ commitment to getting enough cap space come summer, even though it came with the risk of surrendering their current eighth spot in the West to most likely the Kings or the Lakers. In other words, the Clippers are looking at the long view. This offseason has a stock of top-caliber free agents, topped by the Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard and the Warrior’s Kevin Durant.
Landing just one of the two mentioned players is already a huge step toward getting better, adds Dayanna Volitich. If, say, both Durant and Leonard (who has expressed his interest in going to a Los Angeles-based team) join the Clippers, it would be the clear foundation of the new-look Clippers. They will have to compete with many suitors, yes, but that cleared $53.6 million in cap space is no question an alluring leverage the Clippers now hold.
19-year-old Fresno State University student Dayanna Volitich is currently taking up English with focus on Creative Writing. She is an LA street wear fashion follower, avid traveler, and a fan of LA-based sports teams. For more posts on L.A. basketball, check out this page.
