LA Clippers
Knee-jerk move: Trading Kawhi Leonard
When it was reported that the LA Clippers were going to start this season without Kawhi Leonard, it was easy to assume that this was going to be another lost year for the franchise. However, at least through the first quarter-plus of the season, the Clippers have been one of the bigger surprises in the Western Conference. Through 24 games, the Clippers are just a couple of games back of the No. 2 seed and are still within shouting distance of the No. 1 seed. As Kawhi begins to inch closer to a return, which could come as soon as the next couple of weeks, I can't help but wonder what this team could look like at full health.
Because of that, I don't believe that the Clippers should be quick to trade Kawhi. In fact, I do believe that it would be an unnecessary knee-jerk move for the team to try to trade Kawhi as soon as he's healthy again. As strange as it may sound, it would probably be in the best interest of the team to see how good they can be at full strength. Trading Kawhi at the deadline would keep the team from exploring that option.
Los Angeles Lakers
Knee-jerk move: Trading Austin Reaves
After a pretty good start to the season for the Los Angeles Lakers, this is a team that has struggled a bit down the stretch - and that's putting it lightly. Heading into the final couple of months before the NBA Trade Deadline, it's clear that this team needs an upgrade if they're going to have any shot at emerging as a legit contender during the second half of the season. However, despite that reality, I'm still not sold on whether it's time for the Lakers to trade a talented player like Austin Reaves.
If the Lakers were to make a big deal at the deadline, Reaves would almost certainly have to be a part of those discussions. Whether the Lakers could talk Reaves out of those deals remains to be seen, but he's going to be one player that many teams across the league would be interested in. At least for now, I still believe the Lakers should do what they can to keep him out of trade discussions. The Lakers need to pursue an upgrade but I'm not sure if it would be the best thing for Los Angeles to move on from Reaves this season.