One trade every NBA team needs to make
By Tom West
Los Angeles Clippers
As entertaining as it would be for the Clippers to add Rudy Gay, it’s going to be difficult given limited assets. Unless the Kings are desperate to increase their cap space for this summer and would like to take on Lance Stephenson’s $9 million contract and team option, though that’s rather unlikely. Plus, there’s another hole in the Clippers’ roster that should be addressed.
Since they traded Josh Smith back to the Rockets, the injury of Blake Griffin has only further revealed the lacking depth in their frontcourt. With that in mind, a backup big man is something they desperately need, and the Nuggets may have the perfect target.
In order for the Clippers to acquire Darrell Arthur and a guard such as Randy Foye, they can send Stephenson and C.J. Wilcox to Denver.
Adding in two players for both teams makes the deal work financially and the option to waive Stephenson after the season gives the Nuggets a nice salary cap boost, while Wilcox is a good three-point shooter (albeit a fairly unproven one).
The Clippers get Arthur (who’s further down Denver’s rotation than their younger talent) and can be the perfect complimentary piece to come off the bench in their frontcourt rotation.
He brings sound defense and he’s an ideal option to space the floor on offense. He can knock down the occasional catch-and-shoot three and is shooting 47 percent from 16-24 feet out. That’s just the kind of attribute the Clippers could use from their bench to take some pressure off their guards to produce so many points.
Next: Oklahoma City Thunder