NBA Trade Grades: Clippers get luxury tax relief in trade with Jazz

Vibes were as low as they had been in quite some time for the Los Angeles Clippers entering the 2024-25 campaign. Sure, the Intuit Dome opening made going to games an exciting thought, but with Paul George departing for the Philadelphia 76ers, it felt as if this team's championship window had officially closed. To make matters worse, they were above the luxury tax. Paying tax money for a team without a championship ceiling is a position no owner wants to be in.

The Clippers might not be considered championship contenders, but their play has surprised many. Los Angeles is now 28-20, holding the No. 6 seed in a loaded Western Conference despite Kawhi Leonard missing most of the season due to injury. They look like a team that can, at the very least, make the playoffs, which would be impressive in this conference.

A championship might not be within reach right now, but the Clippers did find a way to get below the luxury tax and upgrade their roster in an under-the-radar deal on Saturday with the Utah Jazz.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Clippers sent PJ Tucker, Mo Bamba, a second-round pick, and cash considerations in exchange for Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills. This deal makes a lot of sense for both sides.

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NBA Trade Grades: Clippers earn much-needed flexibility with under-the-radar trade

It isn't hard to see why the Clippers did this deal. First, they landed a very capable backup center in Drew Eubanks. He's far from the biggest name, but he has been a serviceable backup big for much of his seven-year career. The Clippers will be his fifth different team. Los Angeles did not have a clear backup option behind Zubac, so Eubanks can fill that role nicely for 15-ish minutes per game.

Second, and most importantly, the Clippers saved money in this deal. They went from a team that was in the luxury tax to below the tax. They upgraded their roster and saved money while doing it. The only harm was parting with one second-round draft pick to do so. Now, the question is will the Clippers continue to make moves prior to Thursday's trade deadline?

The Clippers did well here, but so did the Jazz. Utah did exactly what rebuilding teams should do, traded veterans in Eubanks and Mills in exchange for whatever draft pick compensation that they could.

They took on a bit of money with this deal, but both Tucker and Bamba will be free agents after the year, making it pretty irrelevant. There's a good chance Tucker and Bamba don't play at all in Utah, but the Jazz acquired a second-round pick in exchange for a decent backup center and a guard who wasn't playing at all.

All in all, this is a pretty good deal for both sides, but the team that acquired the draft pick in a swap full of mostly underwhelming veterans is the slight winner, even with Clippers owner Steve Balmer finding a way to save some money.

Clippers trade grade: B-
Jazz trade grade: B