Appearing today on The Lowe Post with Zach Lowe, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said the Clippers are in the market for a center, which is something Marc Stein of The New York Times and others have reported as well.
While Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell have been very effective so far this season in Los Angeles, Windhorst suggested the Clippers may be a little nervous about entering a playoff series against Rudy Gobert and the Jazz or Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets with that frontcourt duo.
Windhorst mentioned Pistons big man Andre Drummond as a possible Clippers target, though he cautions that such a deal would be difficult, noting that Drummond is simply a best-case example of the type of player L.A. may be targeting. A lower-cost option like Suns center Aron Baynes would also be a good fit for the Clips, in Windhorst’s view.
The Clippers have been linked to a wide variety of potential trade targets at a few positions this winter, and appear willing to move their 2020 first-round pick to upgrade their roster. During his discussion with Windhorst, Lowe said the Clips look like “the biggest lock in the league to do something,” adding later in the podcast that he’d be shocked if they weren’t willing to give up that first-rounder for Marcus Morris.
Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- Rather than selling, the Pelicans may actually be interested in acquiring another veteran player at the deadline, according to Windhorst, who said on The Lowe Post that New Orleans believes its early-season struggles could be attributed in part to how young the team’s roster was.
- The Knicks have had some internal discussions about gauging Julius Randle‘s trade value, sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post. Randle is the only one of New York’s 2019 free agent signees who has a fully guaranteed salary for 2020/21, and Berman suggests that moving him would create more flexibility to re-sign Marcus Morris. The Knicks will have the ability to open up plenty of room even with Randle still on their books.
- Derrick Rose, who left Sunday’s game with an injury initially believed to be a groin issue, has been ruled out for Monday’s contest with an adductor strain. Rod Beard of The Detroit News takes a look at whether Rose’s injury could throw a wrench into the Pistons‘ trade deadline plans.
D-Rose just can’t stay healthy. Shame
He likes Detroit & doesn’t want to get traded so suddenly he has a “groin” issue. Mmmm??
Clips have “some” nice trade assets. But they’re not set up to get someone who can neutralize Jokic or Gobert or AD, even if such a player were out there. They’ll have to just try and get by dominating at the other spots. Morris is a natural fit. I too can’t imagine the Clips won’t offer their 1st (which will btw 25-30) for him, or that the Knicks won’t take it. But with this Knick FO, it only makes sense that the Clips will wait until the last minute to offer it up, on the hope the Stooges will take less.
I think Morris is better than a low 1st. He is kind of their success story if looked at individually.
I think so too, and certainly he is based on prior deadline markets. But this year may not be the type of seller’s market you typically see at the deadline. If the Clips 1st is the best offer they get, I think the Knicks should take it. Anything less, and I’d keep him and let it play out this summer.
He is definitely playing very good basketball and a good shooting percentage.
But someone needs to score buckets on a dismal Knicks team. Kind of reminds me of MCW or Okafor on those atrocious Sixers teams!
True. But the same could be said of your guy DiLo, who’s putting up his numbers for an even more dismal team, and doing it with a much lower TS-%. Plus, Morris defends at a high level and always has, even when he’s been with good teams. DiLo never has, with good or bad teams.
That’s exactly it, no real centre that will manage against a 7 foot centre or bigger. Aaron Baynes would be perfect especially with his ability to space the floor also
I do not understand why the Knicks would rather trade Randle than Morris.
Randle fits their timeline better and I think can play well alongside Barrett.
Something to do with all the turnovers, lack of defense, bad decision making…
Can’t win with him, at least not with him as a 30 min a game starter. Big picture: 2-2-2-10-1 — that’s where Randle’s teams picked in the draft after each of his first five seasons. As a Knick fan, I hope he adds a sixth notch to his belt in the upcoming draft. But, at some point, I want to win. Even before that, for starters, I’d like to let M. Robinson start at C, which would make Randle so scary bad that we’d never be able to trade him.