Three trades I would do if I were the Clippers F.O.

**venitian navigator** · 07-12-2009

Ways to resurrect your team ?
In the next draft Clippers have possibly two lottery draft choices...
But what to do in the meantime ?

1) trade for Rubio : New york would be an ideal destination given D'Antoni system, but I think L.A. fits a lot better for a young hispanic with a lot of self confidence...and I don't buy that Minny wants to play both their playmaking draft picks (plus, in case, Rubio coould opt, reasonably, to stay in Europe).
Considering that Minny needs a real center and Clippers have in their roster more than necessary, considering that B. Davis relationship with his new franchise has not been the best recently and considerin Kaman role and personality, I'd do this trade, good for both teams :

Rights of Rubio, Cardinal, E. Thomas for Mardy Collins and Kaman

2) Shop B. Davis : O.K., Ellis wants to be the play maker in G.S. ... but he already played with Baron with mutual satisfaction.
Plus a trio of Baron, Ellis and Curry makes more sense that a duo of Ellis and Curry for lot of reasons. First, the three are totally intercheangellable, 'cause all three are good scorers, runners and ball handlers; second, all the three are not so solid phisically, so being three instead of two is like an assurance of mantaining the some game quite like for all the season.

On the other side, probably Sterling is still in love with Maggette and probably the only one, apart G.S., still willing to pay him the contract he linked last season...

So I'd do this trade that could be imho good for both teams :

Maggette + Law for B. Davis

3) Finally, the most difficul but also interstin trade of the three.
The Blazers need an upgrade at the three, don't have a mobile four and have tons of players at the wings with a good chance to have problems for playing time (see Fernandez, Rudy).
Thornton could solve a lot of this, given is great value as a player that can play the three and the mobile four and the fact that his young age is in line with all the future projects of the Blazers.
For L.A., this could be a way to entice Rubio to cross the ocean given that the asking price would be, more than all, Fernandez (plus something else, like another of the lot of wing players they have, for matching salaries).
So the possible trade very good for both teams could be :

R. Fernendez + N. Batum for Thornton (maybe plus a future 1° o better 2° draft choice)

**RuffnReadyOzStyle** · 07-12-2009

I think the Clippers' problem is not so much the players as Dumbleavy and his system - he can't adapt to the talents of his players so they just tune him out.

No point landing Rubio if Dumbleavy will still be coaching there - he'll choke the kid's game to death. Also, they are not overly stacked with bigs any more. Now that Randolp is gone they have: Camby, Kaman, Griffin, Jordan.

That said, I'd love to see BD back with the Warriors, but I think you'd have to throw in Brandan Wright or Anthony Randolph to get that done.

ANd I don't see the bBazers dealing Rudy or Nic (both very talented on ultra-cheap rookie contracts) - they'll try to ship Travis or Martell first.