After losing James Harden at the trade deadline, the LA Clippers find themselves in need of a shooter. Considering Harden's most recent playoff failure, it wasn't much of a loss. If LA needs to fortify their perimeter shooting, then take a good look at the Sacramento Kings' Zach LaVine.
While his time in Sacramento hasn't exactly been great, LaVine remains a solid and reliable perimeter shooter. Well, assuming the coach lets him do what he does best and doesn't try to badger him into being something and someone he's not. Doug Christie, everyone is looking at you right now.
The reality is that LaVine doesn't fit what the Kings are putting together. They're looking to get younger, faster, and stronger on defense. LaVine, on the other hand, is getting older, he's still pretty quick, and he's not much to talk about on defense. He is not the player the Kings are looking for.
That's where the Clippers come in. With the departure of Harden and the unknowns surrounding Kawhi Leonard, they need to start making plans for the future. That means bringing in people who can add some serious firepower quickly. And a conversation with the Kings could help them both.
The Clippers and LaVine could be great together
In addition to losing Harden to a trade, LA could also be close to losing Leonard. It all depends on how the NBA's investigation into the behind-the-scenes dealings between him and the Clippers goes. There are several options for punishments, including nullifying Leonard's contract.
This would effectively turn him back into a free agent, and the league will go crazy trying to sign him. To be clear, Zach LaVine is not a good replacement for Kawhi Leonard. But LaVine could still soften the blow by adding in a seasoned shooter as the Clippers figure out what's next.
If the Clippers do manage to hang onto Leonard when this all shakes out, LaVine would also be great to run alongside him. LaVine's perimeter shooting would space the floor well, giving Leonard someone else to pass to when double-teamed as well as another great overall shooter.
The primary benefit for the Kings is moving on from LaVine. One problem for the Clippers is that they lack draft capital and don't really have any players the Kings need or want. It won't be an easy trade to pull together, but it would be worth it for both sides in the long run.
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