The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to be active this week as the NBA trade deadline approaches, with a pressing need to beef up their size and wing depth. According to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, the Clippers are interested in several veteran front court players, most notably Cleveland Cavaliers’ big men Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.
According to Mannix’s report, L.A. has already “kicked the tires” on Kevin Love and they’ve expressed interest in Thompson as well. Another potential candidate is Sacramento Kings’ 30-year old center Dewayne Dedmon. The Clippers are currently sitting at 35-15 on the season, second-best in the Western Conference, but they reportedly have some concerns about how they stack up against the conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers.
The New York Times’ Marc Stein writes:
“Doesn’t guarantee that they’ll make a deal, course, but the Clippers are said to be concerned about their lack muscle up front compared to the Lakers’ length as well as the ongoing health issues Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are battling.”
The Clippers have a first round pick and Mo Harkless’ $11.5 million contract at their disposal which they figure to use in a deal ahead Thursday’s trade deadline. Whether they land a big fella like Love, Thompson or Dedmon, or go after a defensive wing such as Andre Iguodala or Robert Covington remains to be seen, but we’ll find out soon enough as the league’s trade deadline is approximately 48 hours away.
