How the Clippers can package a deal on draft night for Trae Young

Oklahoma freshman Trae Young has lit up the NCAA this season, shooting up the 2018 NBA Draft big boards. The Clippers should be intrigued in joining the Young hype.

The Los Angeles Clippers are looking to be the most middle of the road team in the NBA for the next several years. LA decided to part ways with Blake Griffin and his enormous contract while extending Lou Williams and not trading DeAndre Jordan at the NBA Trade Deadline.

Sure, this version of the Clippers can be a seventh or eighth seed in the Western Conference, maybe. However, the Los Angeles Clippers are essentially guaranteeing a 40-43 win season every single year. They have some good guys, sure, but nobody that is great.

While the plan may be to pursue superstars, being realistic, they do not have enough intrigue to interest a guy like LeBron James or Paul George to come to LA. If they do, they are going to play for the Lakers; who have a solid young core and a lot of cap space.

Thus, it may be time for the Clippers to look to the future and the 2018 NBA Draft. However, the problem is, LA does not have much leverage to pick up a future superstar. They could land a sleeper, sure, but with their own pick and the Pistons pick, that is unlikely.

Let’s say the Clippers finish as the ninth seed, which is where the team currently stands. Assuming they are the best team to miss the playoffs, that would net the Clippers the 14th overall pick (if the lottery acts how it should).

Then, the Detroit Pistons should be on the way to a playoff berth; likely as the seventh or eighth seed. If they finish as the eighth seed, assuming they are the worst playoff team, they would have the 16th overall pick. A

As you can see, the Clippers have two middle-round picks that can’t really get a superstar.

However, they could get a superstar in the making as low as the sixth or seventh pick. Trae Young has lit up the NCAA with Oklahoma. The freshman guard is averaging 29.5 points, 9.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Overall, Young is shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc. Steph Curry shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc before entering the league.

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Simply put, Young has been phenomenal. His defense remains his biggest drawback. However, as James Harden has proven, bad defense can be made up by great offensive output; especially in today’s league.

Those questions are still affecting Young’s big board position. Jeremey Woo of Sports Illustrated has Young as the sixth-best prospect in this draft; for simplicities sake, we are going to use that spot.

If everything were to stand and the NBA Draft Lottery worked out perfectly the team with the sixth overall pick would be the Orlando Magic. The problem for the Clippers, though, is Young may be a great fit for this Magic team.

Thus, the Clippers need to make this deal worth it for the Orlando Magic, a task that is not the easiest in the world. However, I believe there is a trade package that could influence the Magic.

Sure, the Los Angeles Clippers are giving up a lot of draft picks for Trae Young, but I would argue it is worth it. If Young excels next season, their pick is not going to be worth that much anyway. If he flounders, and the rest of the team follows, they have that top three protection.

For the Magic, if they are not completely sold on one guy this deal makes sense. They get two draft picks, an established guy in Patrick Beverley and a draft pick the ensuing year.

Do I see the Magic taking this trade? Only if the situation is perfect and they indeed are not high on anyone with the sixth overall pick. If not, the Los Angeles Clippers have many more pieces to add; they are extremely flexible.

Next: How the Clippers failed at the deadline

At the end of the day, it would be very interesting to see the Clippers join the fray for Trae Young. Young has been sensational in his freshman year and he may be exactly what the Clippers need.

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