One rumored LA Clippers trade target could reveal the team's plans heading into the NBA offseason.
For the majority of the 2024-25 NBA season, the LA Clippers left much to be desired. In fact, it wasn't until March that the Clippers looked like a competent playoff team in the Western Conference. On March 4, the Clippers were fighting for one of the final spots in the Play-In Tournament, just a couple of games over .500. LA did a great job of turning that all around in the final 20ish games of the season, but one big question remains for this franchise heading into the NBA offseason.
Will the team use this summer to rebuild the roster? Earlier in the season, the easy answer would've been yes. However, that may not be the case anymore, especially with how encouraging the team looked down the stretch. And, in fact, a rumored potential trade target for the Clippers may have already tipped us their true offseason intentions. Hint: it's not to rebuild the roster.
According to a recent report, the Clippers are expected to express trade interest in Malcolm Brogdon this summer. Even though Brogdon is probably past his prime at this point in his career, he's an intriguing two-way combo guard who could add much-needed depth to this roster. Perhaps most importantly, this rumor tells us the Clippers have no plans of rebuilding this summer. Instead, they're looking to add to their roster.
The LA Clippers are not rebuilding
It's pretty clear that the Clippers are not rebuilding heading into the offseason. That's fair. However, no matter what the Clippers do, their future falls into the hands of Kawhi Leonard's health. The difference between this team when Kawhi is healthy vs. not healthy is night and day.
When Kawhi is healthy, they have the potential to be a championship contender. When he's not, the Clippers are barely a playoff team. Betting on Kawhi's health, which is what the Clippers are preparing to do once again, may not be a strong plan.
What LA could've done this offseason is use Kawhi's hot streak to end the year to trade him. Instead, they're going to bet on his health and look to add to the roster. On one hand, you can't blame the Clippers for this gamble. However, you also can't help but wonder if this could end up being a mistake in the long run.
Either way, it does appear LA is preparing for a buyer's offseason.