Clippers making calls about trading up in 2016 NBA draft

The Los Angeles Clippers haven’t made much in the way of headlines since Blake Griffin punched a staff member and the team later blew a 2-0 advantage against the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference quarterfinals.

Still, the Clippers sound like a team ready to step back into the limelight during Thursday’s NBA draft, as head coach Doc Rivers and the front office clutch the No. 25 and 33 picks.

In an ideal world, the Clippers would like to use these picks to move up via trade, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Jake Fischer:

It’s a good idea, with the Clippers unsure if Jamal Crawford will re-sign with the team and even more unsure if Paul Pierce will call it a career.

There’s no easy way to figure out who the Clippers would target if they can move up into the teens. There, they could anywhere from a guard like Tyler Ulis out of Kentucky to Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine to perhaps even a forward such as Marquette’s Henry Ellenson.

Either way, this late development makes the Clippers one of the more important teams to watch on draft day. A core of Chris Paul-Blake Griffin-DeAndre Jordan only has so many years of contention left in the deep Western Conference, so a budding sense of desperation could encouarge the team to make a rather drastic move Thursday.

If the Clippers can make a smart move and manage to stay healthy, the rest of the conference will have another major problem on its hands.

About Chris Roling

Chris is an Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism graduate and associate editor here at TSD. He also covers breaking news and the NFL at Bleacher Report and resides in Athens (OH) with his wife and two dogs.

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