New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Sends Center Help to Clippers, Hawks Reunite With Backup Point Guard
With the trade deadline coming up on February 6, many teams are going to be interested in adding significant talent to their teams to make a push for the playoffs or improve their chances as a contender. One of those teams could be the Los Angeles Clippers.
After letting Paul George walk in free agency, Los Angeles has done an excellent job of keeping itself firmly in the conversation for the playoffs in a competitive Western Conference. The duo of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard need to be respected in any playoff series while Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac are solid complementary pieces. However, one of the biggest questions on their roster is what they are going to do with the expiring contract of P.J Tucker. Tucker has not played for the team since October as they aim to find a trade partner for him.
The Washington Wizards are a possible destination for Tucker. Firmly in contention for the top of the NBA draft lottery in 2025, the Wizards are not trying to win games and have little use for veterans that do not fit their timeline. Jonas Valanciunas is one such player. His skills as a rebounder are wasted on a Washington team that uses him to handle the bruising matchups they want to keep Alex Sarr away from. Therefore, it makes more sense to get something of value for him.
Atlanta has needs at backup point guard and wing. Both of those areas could be addressed as a result of this move. Here is one possible framework for how a deal between these three teams might come together.
It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Kris Dunn, Amir Coffey
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Garrison Mathews, Anthony Gill, David Roddy, Jonas Valanciunas, 2026 2nd round pick (via Memphis, from Atlanta), 2027 2nd round pick (via Los Angeles Clippers, from Atlanta), 2028 2nd round pick (via Washington, ORL has swap rights)
Washington Wizards Receive: Cam Christie, P.J Tucker, 2031 2nd round pick (via Los Angeles Clippers)
Why the Hawks do this trade: Dunn has been an integral part of the Clippers' defense this year and puts an incredible amount of pressure on opposing ball-handlers. He has shown the ability to be a respectable shooter in seasons past (above 36% from deep in two of his past three seasons). In terms of making the right passes and racking up steals, Dunn would solve a lot of those issues for Atlanta at a reasonable price. However, the real prize is Coffey. He's shooting 42.2% from deep on three attempts a game at 6'7. His spacing is a real asset for the Clippers and there's a good chance they lose him in free agency. Their loss could be Atlanta's gain.
Why the Hawks wouldn't do this trade: Dunn's three-point shooting is at a catastrophic 30% this year and he's simply not a very reliable shooter. The Hawks are already so starved for shooting that it may be too difficult to add another player that wrecks their spacing. While Coffey is going to hit free agency this season, it is still possible that LA signs him to a new deal if they can open up some space. As a result, they may want a higher price for his services.
Why the Clippers do this trade: They get off Dunn's contract to open up more space in future seasons, dump the Tucker contract and address a serious hole on their roster at backup center. Valanciunas is an excellent rebounder who should be able to run some basic offense with Harden and Leonard. Mo Bamba is not a serious option for the role and it seems like they will be able to sneak into the postseason picture. Harden thrives when he has spacing around him and Mathews should be able to offer that. Gill and Roddy are more bodies to keep Leonard fresh so that he can make it through a postseason appearance. This also adds some reasonable assets to the team so that they can begin to rebuild their asset pool.
Why the Clippers wouldn't do this trade: Coffey has been one of their best shooters this season and it would be hard to lose him for a pretty modest return. Outside of Valanciunas, it's hard to picture any of these players impacting a playoff series and Los Angeles is also giving up a promising pick in 2031. Furthermore, losing Cam Christie could be tough because he's shown some intriguing upside as a scorer in his G League minutes.
Why the Wizards would do this trade: Tucker's contract expires after this year and they open up even more future space by getting the Valanciunas deal off their books. Christie will be given free rein to develop in Washington and they also get a potentially valuable 2nd round pick from a Clippers team that should be in a rebuild by 2031.
Why the Wizards would not do this trade: Christie hasn't made much of an impact for the Clippers in his NBA minutes and does not project to be anything more than an offensively-tilted shooting guard. They have that archetype on the roster already. Furthermore, Valanciunas does fill a valuable role for keeping Sarr fresh and that might be more valuable to them then creating more future salary space.
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