With their sights set on an NBA championship in 2023, the Los Angeles Clippers are in prime position to overtake the Golden State Warriors as Western Conference champions and win their first title in franchise history.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be back in action and ready to dish out some serious damage. The signing of John Wall will also add to this effort and increase their chances of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy next season.
They’ve continued to fill out their roster nicely by re-signing Amir Coffey and Nicolas Batum, as well as extending Ivica Zubac and Robert Covington. Even with a revamped squad that’s bound to climb the ranks of the NBA elite, the Clippers are still a move away from having a complete roster.
With that, let’s now discuss the one key move the Clippers must make during the 2022 NBA offseason.
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Key Move Clippers Still Must Make In 2022 NBA Offseason
Add another center via trade or free agency
When fully healthy and in sync, the Clippers boast one of the deepest and most complete rosters in the NBA. Their biggest flaw, though, is their lack of size and length. In spite of this, they’ve still managed to be one of the best defensive teams in the league. On the flip side, they’ll need a reliable presence at center if they’re hoping to keep pace with some of the bigger squads in the Western Conference.
Ivica Zubac has done well for the Clippers and Robert Covington thrives at the 5-spot in small-ball lineups. However, they’ll still must sign or trade for an additional body down low. This will provide them with consistently good rim protection and rebounding, as well as give them a lob threat. With players like Hassan Whiteside, Dwight Howard and LaMarcus Aldridge still available, these could all be high-impact signings for the Clippers at a bargain.
A few others players LA could look into acquiring via trade are Myles Turner or Jakob Poeltl. These are two centers who would also fill a major area of need for the Clippers. When going up against the frontlines of the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans amongst others, the Clippers will need to have a bolstered center rotation that can match wits with these perennial contenders.
If they’re able to accommodate this area of concern during the 2022 NBA offseason, then the sky’s the limit for what this Clippers crew can accomplish. Retooled with their superstars expected to be back at 100%, the Clippers are hoping to achieve the unthinkable next season and bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time in NBA history.
The Clippers would be truly unstoppable with another big in their rotation. They’ve still got plenty of options to choose from and all these available players would surely help them to get over the hump and make their first ever NBA Finals appearance. All throughout the 2022-23 NBA campaign, LA will have so much going for them while facing a ton of pressure. So addressing their issues at center could be what makes or breaks their title chances next year.
