Rate the Trade: Gary Trent Jr. to the Clippers

Could the LA Clippers and Toronto Raptors make a trade for Gary Trent Jr.?
Rate the Trade: Gary Trent Jr. to the Clippers
Rate the Trade: Gary Trent Jr. to the Clippers /

The NBA's trade deadline is quickly approaching, and the league has been mostly at a standstill this year. The market is tricky, with so many teams uncertain if they should become sellers or make a playoff push, which has really slowed down trade activity. One of those teams that is uncertain about their current direction is the Toronto Raptors.

Champions in 2019, Toronto hasn't gotten out of the second round since, and currently sits at 19-23. With talented players on their roster, Toronto would hope to be in a better spot, but they may soon have to face the reality that their core is simply not good enough. If they come to this point, a player like Gary Trent Jr. could be on the move.

In a recent hypothetical trade proposal from The Athletic's Eric Koreen, the Clippers deal for Trent Jr. by sending out Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, and a 2028 first-round pick. To put it simply, this is a horrible trade for the Clippers, and one they would not even consider.

Kennard and Mann are both valuable pieces for the Clippers, making a package with them plus a future first-rounder worth much more than Gary Trent Jr. is worth. The Clippers would be much better off keeping both Mann and Kennard, and instead making a smaller deal on the margins that sends out expiring money in exchange for a viable backup center option.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.