The Clippers have tried to plot a course that could push them toward a better position in Thursday’s NBA draft. They have offered their own lottery picks, the 12th and 13th selections, to make a deal to move up, according to NBA executives not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and media reports. So far they have been rebuffed in their attempts to procure a deal for a top-five pick with the Sacramento Kings (who pick second), Atlanta Hawks (third), Memphis Grizzlies (fourth) and Dallas Mavericks (fifth). The Clippers will continue to do their due diligence and talk with teams ahead of them in the draft with the hopes of getting a high enough pick to select European star Luka Doncic, according to the executives. But if the Clippers stand pat, they still believe they will get talent with their first-round picks. Advertisement “It is important to kind of get a feel for what the other teams [think] and the players they like in case they like the same player you do,” Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, said recently. “You know where you need to get to get him. “But once the draft is slotted, you can’t control if a team is not going to make a trade with you. So if they decide to make a trade with someone else and a team trades above you and gets the player you like, you got to be prepared for it. And that’s why you rank your players, you trust your [draft] board, you tier them in terms of where guys are at.” There are many players the Clippers have targeted that they believe can provide them with depth and a bright future. The Clippers are intrigued by a pair of Kentucky stars: 6-foot-6 point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 6-9 combo forward Kevin Knox. Michigan State forward Miles Bridges (6-6, 230 pounds) has been on the Clippers’ radar because of his ability to play multiple positions, while Alabama point guard Collin Sexton (6-2) would fulfill a playmaking need for the Clippers. Texas A&M big man Robert Williams (6-9) has potential the Clippers like, and Miami shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV (6-5) is a scorer the Clippers could use. “What you try to do is you try to minimize any emotional decision that you are going to make on Thursday,” Frank said. “So it’s all the prep work to figure it out. You can’t do every situation, but you try to prepare for literally everything you can. “You go through the entire NBA rosters, you go through everyone in the draft and you’re gaming for all the different possibilities that can happen and then you’re prioritizing all those things.” Advertisement Drafting later among the lottery teams does not mean all is lost and that all the top talent has been taken. Last year’s draft is a prime example: Guard Donovan Mitchell was picked at No. 13 by the Denver Nuggets before he was traded to the Utah Jazz. He turned into a star and helped the Jazz to the second round of the playoffs. The Phoenix Suns took Devin Booker with the 13th pick in the 2015 draft and he has become one of the up-and-coming shooting guards in the NBA. Two of the game’s biggest stars were taken outside the lottery picks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, taken 15th by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013, and Kawhi Leonard, taken 15th in 2011 by the Indiana Pacers before he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. Advertisement That gives the Clippers and their fans high hopes that their picks will become forces in the league. “You’re always looking to see who you think has a chance to be, let’s call it under-valued or under-drafted,” Frank said. “The odds will tell you that it’s so hard to hit. So that’s when a Donovan Mitchell hits or a Booker hits or a Giannis hits or a Kawhi hits, those statistically are outliers. So when someone says, ‘Who’s the next Donovan Mitchell?’, there may not be another one. But there may be someone else who’s the next someone else.” broderick.turner@latimes.com Twitter: @BA_Turner<doc-sep>The Los Angeles Clippers have two picks in the 2018 NBA Draft Day, but they could likely be moved. Here are six trade possibilities that the Clippers could explore on draft day. The 2018 NBA Draft is this Thursday, June 21. The Los Angeles Clippers have been amidst a lot of speculation as to if they will move up or down in the draft. The Clippers have two lottery picks in the 2018 NBA Draft. Picks 12 and 13 may not be the most exciting as of now, but the team could package both to make moves on draft night. While the following trades may be unlikely, there is a high possibility that something happens. The Clippers have been at the center of every rumor regarding draft day trades. Most rumors involve the team trading up and gaining a top five pick, which would be an exciting but risky move for the franchise. With no bonafide star players on the roster, this could give the Clippers a new piece to build future teams around. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!<doc-sep>According to Michael Scott of The Athletic, the Atlanta Hawks have offered their 19th and 30th picks in the first round of Thursday’s NBA Draft in an effort to acquire a late lottery pick, targeting one of the Clippers’ picks at 12 and 13, or the Denver Nuggets’ 14th overall selection. The Atlanta Hawks have dangled their No. 19 and 30 picks to move up in the draft, league sources told The Athletic. The Los Angeles Clippers (picks 12 and 13) and Denver (pick 14) are among the targets for Atlanta, league sources say. — Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 20, 2018 For the Clippers, a trade like this doesn’t make a ton of sense if it’s the only deal done. LAC is already set to have two first-round picks, and they’ll return almost their entire roster from last year’s 42-40 team. Talent upgrades are needed, but additional depth is not: as it is, the Clippers will have tough choices to make in order to trim their roster down to 15 in time for opening night. If anything, they need moves this summer to consolidate their talent, not spread it among more, lower draft picks. However, it’s always good to have options heading into the draft, and this could be a solid contingency for the Clippers. If they only like one of the players left on the board at 12, they could move the 13th pick for 19 and 30, and then use one of those later picks in a subsequent deal, or draft a stash prospect to bring to the NBA down the line. Additionally, it gives the Clippers alternative asset options if a team they are attempting to deal with would prefer picks 19 and 30 to one of the Clippers’ two picks. In short, I’m not sold on this being a a deal that the Clippers necessarily jump for (especially since I believe they’ll have two players that they like on the board at 12 and 13 if they keep the picks), but it’s always nice to have and contingencies pre-planned ahead of Draft night, when often times there’s only 5 minutes to react to the first domino falling.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON, USA - DECEMBER 15: Los Angeles Clipper DeAndre Jordan (6) and Washington Wizard Marcin Gortat (13) go for a rebound at the Capital One Arena in Washington, USA on December 15, 2017. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) The Los Angeles Clippers should try and deal with the Washington Wizards for the 15th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. NBA Draft day is tomorrow and apparently the Washington Wizards are open to dealing the 15th overall pick. The Los Angeles Clippers should definitely take a good hard look at this. According to Ben Standig of Sports Capitol, the Wizards are open to dealing the 15th pick in the draft if a team is willing to take back an expiring contract. The most likely option? Center Marcin Gortat. Gortat is owed $13.56 million for next season, but will come off the books after that. We have looked at dealing with the Wizards in the past after the team lost to the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs and John Wall came out and said his team needed to make moves during the offseason. The Argument for Both Teams This makes perfect sense for the Clippers, should they have the right offer. With DeAndre Jordan likely heading out in free agency, the team should try and convince him to agree to a sign-and-trade. Jordan would opt in and be flipped to the Wizards for Gortat and the pick. The Clippers may have to take on a little additional salary, but that’s beside the point. The point is, both teams benefit here. The Wizards get an athletic, defensive big who will pair well with both Wall and Bradley Beal. They have supposedly been in search of a third star and DJ could fit that mold. Meanwhile, the Clippers get yet another draft pick in a deep draft and are able to ensure they have cap space available in 2019, which they are reportedly targeting. They would have three picks which would lead to an infusion of youth. The team would use the 2018-19 season as a learning experience and to evaluate their roster and then prepare for big moves next summer. The Wizards will likely be taking calls all through draft night and the Clippers need to be one of the teams on the other end of the line with an offer for the 15th pick.<doc-sep>
The Los Angeles Clippers are looking at all options to improve their roster, including the potential addition of a superstar like Kawhi Leonard. The team also has some interesting NBA Draft flexibility, which is is reportedly trying to use to land in the top five, with Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic a potential Clippers trade target. With the NBA Draft coming tomorrow, it is probably an either/or proposition. The Clippers own the Nos. 12 and 13 picks in the Draft. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Clippers offered those picks as a package in an attempt to jump up into the top five. Thus far, they have been rebuffed, but they continue to covet Doncic, who many believe could be the best player in this NBA Draft. They have offered their own lottery picks, the 12th and 13th selections, to make a deal to move up, according to NBA executives not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and media reports. So far they have been rebuffed in their attempts to procure a deal for a top-five pick with the Sacramento Kings (who pick second), Atlanta Hawks (third), Memphis Grizzlies (fourth) and Dallas Mavericks (fifth). The Clippers will continue to do their due diligence and talk with teams ahead of them in the draft with the hopes of getting a high enough pick to select European star Luka Doncic, according to the executives. Unfortunately for Jerry West and company, reports from around the league make it sound like Doncic is likely to go no later than third. With the Phoenix Suns expected to take Arizona star DeAndre Ayton, Doncic could go to the Kings at No. 2, and is reportedly at the top of the board for the Hawks at No. 3. That means Kawhi Leonard could be a more likely Clippers trade option. A move would have to come fast given the quick timetable, and it is unclear if the San Antonio Spurs would see two late-lottery picks as enough for a player of Leonard’s caliber. Re Kawhi: I’ve been told Jerry West is running point on all attempts to acquire him via trade, and he doesn’t want the Clippers to remain second-fiddle in LA. He will be aggressive during the Draft—Picks 12 and 13 are in play, along with multiple players. — Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) June 20, 2018 It is also a very legitimate question whether Kawhi would want to sign long-term with the franchise. The Clippers are in his native Southern California, but do not have the same cachet as the Lakers, and may not be a contender for other stars like LeBron James and Paul George, who have also been linked to their Los Angeles rivals. [Los Angeles Times]