The Los Angeles Clippers (16-12) are not surviving until Kawhi Leonard returns to the lineup; they are thriving.
The Los Angeles Clippers got their 16th win of the season on the road against the Dallas Mavericks, without stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, with a 118-95 score. They continue to put together an impressive season where the scoring has been solid, but the defense has been even better.
Even with injuries to multiple key players, the Clippers are holding their own at the top of the Pacific Division. They even have a chance to get better, not just with Kawhi and players like Terance Mann returning, but through a trade.
While the LA Clippers needs are not urgent, there are potential needs for a young scoring guard, a backup center and a younger power forward. They can solve one of these problems by making a trade for a young, high-volume scoring guard on a bad team.
A perfect example is Utah Jazz point guard Collin Sexton. He was first on the Clippers’ radar in the 2018 NBA Draft before the Cleveland Cavaliers took him eighth overall ahead of the Clippers’ pick. He has a chance to be traded to a conference title contender once again for the right package deal.
Sexton is receiving $18.3 million from the Jazz and is scheduled to make $19.1 million in the final year of his deal next year.
The Clippers could easily offer 39-year-old power forward P.J. Tucker, who is on an expiring contract of $11.5 and will not play for the Clippers anymore. The team will likely offer point guard Bones Hyland, who has a team-option deal next offseason.
Utah will likely ask for draft picks. The Clippers only own a first-round pick in the 2030 NBA Draft and the first and second-round picks in the 2031 NBA Draft. They have pick swaps in the first round for the 2025, 2027 and 2029 NBA Drafts as well as a swap for a second-round pick in the 2030 draft.
The draft situation for the Clippers has been a mess, but they’ve shown no hesitation in trading picks to win now.
Sexton is one of the most underrated young players for a below-average Western Conference team. He has the potential to play shooting guard or a point guard depending on the lineup.
In 26 games played, Sexton is scoring an average of 16.8 points per game with a field-goal percentage of 48.6% and a three-point percentage of 43.9%. He also averages 2.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 0.7 steals per game.
He has been a consistent starter this season for the Jazz, starting in 24 of the 26 games played. Before this season, however, Sexton has been in and out of the starting lineups.
Sexton can be a starting point guard if the Clippers need more youth and explosiveness in their starting lineup.
He can be a starting shooting guard as a catch-and-catch shot-taker if the team needs more offense. Sexton would be the perfect compliment to James Harden as an extra weapon and a facilitator. He is able to lead the second-team unit, along with guard Norman Powell to give the starters.
Sexton’s addition to the team would give the Clippers another high-volume scoring, many different lineup options and youth, which is something the team needed the most.
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