Clippers Should Ignore Anthony Davis Trade Buzz

The Los Angeles Clippers are 3-7 for the season, and they have dug themselves a hole so big that they will attempt to dig themselves out of it all season. Falling this far behind in the stacked Western Conference could be a death knell, but the Clippers have no choice but to keep going and stay competitive. They have to let the James Harden-Kawhi Leonard era play out, since rebuilding doesn't seem like an option with how little the team has in terms of future assets.

Therefore, it's understandable when fans and media members suggest that the Clippers continue to push more chips in to try to win in the present. After the firing of GM Nico Harrison in Dallas on Tuesday, speculations about Anthony Davis's availability on the trade market naturally arose. On The Zach Lowe Show podcast, NBA insiders Zach Lowe and J. Kyle Mann discussed the Clippers as a possible landing spot for the 32-year-old big man, via Basketnews.com.

Clippers Shouldn't Be Tempted by an Anthony Davis Trade Possibility

They obviously acknowledged the complexities of such a deal. Davis makes $54.1 million this season, and the Clippers are hard-capped at the first apron. LA would have to send a combination of John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Brook Lopez, and Derrick Jones Jr, but this creates roster spot issues. The Clippers would have to take back more players, but then the math gets very tricky. Perhaps a third and fourth team would have to get involved to make the deal work.

Plus, it's not like the Clippers have a ton of future assets that the Mavs would be interested in. LA can trade up to two unprotected first-round picks and another pick swap, but if there was a bidding war for AD, it's hard to imagine that this would be the best offer for the All-Star big.

Regardless of the mechanics of the trade, the Clippers need to stay away from AD. The organization has leaned towards the superstar model, and Steve Ballmer may find it tempting to pair Leonard and Harden with another star. But bringing in another aging star with age-related decline and injury concerns is a massive risk the Clippers don't need to take.

Yes, the Clippers' future is not bright as it is, but emptying the coffers entirely in a trade for another player in his 30s could make things even bleaker in the near future.

What the first ten games of the season showed is that the Clippers need to get younger, faster, and more athletic. Putting Davis next to Ivica Zubac in the frontcourt only adds to the Clippers' existing concerns. LA would be foolish to even attempt to pursue this trade.

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