Should The Clippers Trade For This All-Star

The Clippers lost both Paul George and Russell Westbrook this season and are looking at mediocrity in the Western Conference for the next few seasons. Kawhi Leonard isn't available enough to play, and James Harden has shown signs of regression. Should LA make a big splash and trade for Zach Lavine?

Pros For Acquiring Zach Lavine

Losing Paul George for nothing, especially considering the Clippers gave up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a historic amount of draft capital for him, is a move that could go down as one of the worst trades in NBA history.

While the duo of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard never achieved a championship, both all-stars gave the Clippers a chance of contention. George provided a high offensive floor every game, averaging a little over 20 points per game and around four assists. Currently, the Clippers do not have a consistent offensive scorer besides Kawhi and James Harden.

Zach Lavine's specialty is scoring. He broke out in the 20-21 season, averaging 27 points per game on close to 50/40 shooting splits. Since then, Lavine has become an established scorer in this league, averaging around 22 points in the last three years. Lavine provides a polished offensive game that the Clippers desperately need.

The Clippers need another scoring punch to be genuine contenders in the West. Harden has taken the role of a facilitator and has shown a regression in scoring. Lavine's high-volume scoring ability would be a suitable replacement for Paul George.

Cons For Acquiring Zach Lavine

As mentioned earlier, Lavine is a player who can step in and provide scoring right away, but other parts of his game make him an overall downgrade from Paul George. George was the significantly more consistent player and a better perimeter defender. Besides scoring, Lavine doesn't provide playmaking or defense.

If the Clippers were to acquire him, they would still likely be unable to make a deep playoff run. Lavine would make Los Angeles more exciting and viable, but the ultimate goal is a championship. Also, the Bulls may want a first-round pick back or decide to play Lavine until his trade value increases.

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