Jerry West’s ruthlessness may be on full display once again this summer.
Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reported this week that the L.A. Clippers are shopping sharpshooter Luke Kennard on the trade market. Deveney adds that the Clippers will look to move Kennard in July if they cannot trade him by the NBA Draft.
That is a bit of a startling development considering the season that Kennard just had for the Clippers. He shot a scalding 44.9 percent from three (which led the league) for a dependable 11.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Kennard is also just 25 years old and is owed a modest $28.5 million over the next two seasons (with a club option for 2024-25).
But most of Kennard’s production did come while the Clippers’ star trio of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Norman Powell were all injured. With the Clippers expected to be at full health next year, Kennard might be able to scrap out only 10 to 12 minutes per game off the bench. Complementary pieces like Terance Mann, Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum (all of whom are better defenders) could shut Kennard out of closing lineups as well.
If the Clippers want to sell high on Kennard, there may be no better time for them to do so. The former Duke star might not be the only bucket-getter on the roster in danger of being traded either.
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