The Los Angeles Clippers are in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 30-26 record and seem to be in solid shape, but they might be looking to make some moves.
They are reportedly looking to unload Luke Kennard’s salary.
“Luke Kennard (Clippers want to unload his salary and he’s not viewed as a consistent member in the LA rotation.),” wrote Evan Dammarell regarding players that might be in play for the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the trade deadline.
Kennard has seen his role decrease a bit with the Clippers this season. He hasn’t gotten any minutes in either of the Clippers’ last two games. Perhaps that’s a sign that Los Angeles is close to a deal involving him.
The Duke University product has been linked to the Cavaliers multiple times this season, so it seems like a deal between the Cavs and Clippers could materialize as the deadline gets closer and closer.
The Clippers seem to be looking for some help at point guard. They have been linked to Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry and even threw their hat in the ring for Kyrie Irving, who was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
Miami is in desperate need of some consistent shooting, so it might be willing to send Lowry to Los Angeles in a deal that involves Kennard.
A former first-round pick, Kennard is one of the best shooters in the league. He’s recording 8.2 points per game this season while knocking down 45.3 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Last season, he led the league by shooting 44.9 percent from distance. Obviously, he would help plenty of teams that are in need of some shooting, a skill teams across the NBA can never have too much of.
His deficiencies come on the defensive side of the floor. However, if he were to play alongside some stellar defenders, then he could be hidden and be a net positive for his team.
It’ll be interesting to see what ends up happening with Kennard, who is under contract for multiple seasons.
The trade deadline is set for Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. EST.
