Los Angeles Clippers: Is trading up for Trae Young worth it?

The 2018 NBA Draft is tomorrow and the Los Angeles Clippers are going to answer many questions with what the team does in the draft.

The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the more interesting teams to watch as the 2018 NBA Draft unfolds. With both the 12th and 13th overall picks as well as tradeable assets, the Clippers could easily move up in the lottery.

However, the 12th and 13th overall picks could also present an opportunity to land a serious sleeper pick. Last year, Donovan Mitchell was the 13th overall pick. He will likely be an all-star as early as next season.

The chances of landing another Donovan Mitchell are obviously small, however, if the Clippers are in love with someone they will stay put.

Perhaps the front office is in love with a different prospect, though. One of the most polarizing prospects in this draft class is Trae Young; an explosive playmaking guard from Oklahoma.

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The chances of Young being available by the 12th overall pick is slim. If the Clippers are interested in young, the team would have to move up in the draft. One team that may be intrigued to move down, simply to add more young pieces, are the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers own the eighth overall pick in the draft. To get another opinion on what to do, we reached out to our FanSided sister site, Clipperholics. When prompted with this theoretical trade offer from the Cavaliers, they said the following:

"“If the Cavaliers are only offering the eighth overall pick, I couldn’t do it. Young is slipping in mocks and there’s a solid chance he slips past Cleveland. I think in order to trade both 12 and 13, I’d need a top 5 pick. I’d be willing to trade up for Luka Doncic or Mo Bamba using both picks, but aside from that, I would have to pass.”"

They make a good point, Young has been slipping down certain NBA Draft Big Boards. However, Young is still pretty high on most. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has Young as the fifth-best prospect in the draft, Reid Forgrave of CBS Sports has Young at ten, Jeremy Woo of SI has Young at eight.

Regardless, Young’s position on draft big boards is not going to impact whether or not a team selects him. If Young is still available by the time pick eight rolls around, I would absolutely try to move up if I am the Clippers.

Young presents a special opportunity to be a true superstar in the league. While he did display poor decision-making and a frequency to get ice-cold, he easily has one of the biggest ceilings in this draft. Young is that pick that in three years nobody understands why he went eighth overall.

The Clippers can still land another pick in the draft by trading assets such as Patrick Beverley to maintain two first-round picks. With the Cavaliers at eight and the Knicks at nine, I would pull the trigger. I just cannot see Young going past both Cleveland and New York.

Next: Who we think the Clippers would pick at 12 and 13

Of course, the Cavaliers would have to agree to this deal in the first place. Even if the Los Angeles Clippers want to package two picks, it is ultimately up to Cleveland. However, if granted the opportunity, LA must capitalize.

You can follow LA Sports Hub on Twitter at @LA_SportsHub as well as Clipperholics at @ClipperholicsFS.

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