Grade the Trade: 76ers correct huge offseason mistake in proposed swap

Trade grade for the Clippers

The LA Clippers got substantially weaker this offseason following the departure of Paul George. While they still have two, perennial All-Stars in Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to anchor the ship, it’s a pretty dicey proposition to rely on such a massive injury risk and a declining star.

By most accounts, it’s difficult to envision the Clippers being anything more than a playoff team in a jampacked Western Conference. Depending on how they fare this season, where “things-going-completely-awry is not outside the realm of possibility, a fire sale could soon commence for the Steve Ballmer-owned squad.

LA has handcuffed itself into a brazen win-now edict since the late 2010s and they have no future assets to bank on and leverage. As a result, if they want to start futureproofing, they will have to part with their more attractive commodities.

Trading Batum would be a bummer for a team that fits him like a tee, but he should be able to net them relatively worthy assets. KJ Martin won’t account for much, but the impending barrage of second-rounders (presumed part of an actual offer) they can extract from Philly would be a big win.

Grade: B+