Leonard was exempted from the playoffs due to injury, and the Los Angeles Clippers, who have a luxurious Big Four lineup, also fell sharply, and were finally eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks led by Doncic and Irving. In order to retain the team's championship lineup and have deep pockets, Clippers owner Ballmer will definitely try his best to keep the three cores of Harden, George, and Xiaoka this summer. If the price is right, the Clippers are even willing to stay with Willis. However, the Clippers will still make some small repairs to the roster this offseason to make up for the shortcomings of the roster, and the current coach Tyronn Lue is likely not to renew his contract with the Clippers, and the Clippers are likely to finalize a new coach this offseason.
Recently, Dan Favale, an expert on the American media "Bleachers", suggested that the Clippers reached a three-way deal with two teams that are being rebuilt this offseason, the Rockets and the Nets, to send away the veteran PJ Tucker and the interior core Zubac. The details of the deal are:
1: The Clippers sent Ivica Zubac + PJ Tucker + the 2030 Clippers first-round pick to get Nicolas Claxton of the Nets (sign first and then trade);
2. The Nets sent Nicholas Claxton + Dennis Schroder to get Ivica Zubac + PJ Tucker + Jesean Tate + 2030 Clippers first-round pick + 2024 Warriors second-round pick;
3. The Rockets sent Jock Landale + Jasean Tate + the 2024 Warriors second-round pick to get Dennis Schroder.
Claxton, a Nets interior giant, played 71 regular season games for the Nets this season, averaging 11.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 blocks per game, shooting 62.9% from the field. It is worth mentioning that Claxton once worked with Harden on the Nets, and there was a certain tacit understanding between the two. Claxton's faster movement speed compared to Zubac is a good fit for the Clippers' current system, and from the stats, Claxton also maintains a high shooting percentage, which shows that his finishing ability under the basket is good, and under Harden's passing organization, Claxton must have the opportunity to eat cake. At the same time, the defensive ability is good, and he can use his excellent movement speed to form a quick change of defense and improve the defensive quality of the Clippers.
Claxton's contract with the Nets is expiring, and the two sides have not yet agreed on a contract extension. If they fail to reach a contract extension with the Nets, Nets management is likely to use Claxton's expiring contract to gain some rebuilding leverage in the trade market. Through this three-way deal, the Clippers not only got Harden's former teammate Claxton to strengthen the interior, but they can also get rid of the veteran Tucker's contract through this deal, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone. And Harden will also help his old teammate Claxton integrate into the Clippers' offensive and defensive system as soon as possible, and the two will attack the championship together.