Los Angeles Clippers coach and president Doc Rivers wants to make a trade, but indicated it's easier said than done. Although having been linked to Philadelphia 76ers guard Tony Wroten and several small forwards, the Clippers may end up signing a free agent - such as Ray Allen or Jermaine O'Neal - to help bolster the roster.
It's not that the Clippers aren't trying to make trades, it seems that they're just not able to find them.
"It's more just hard to get a deal done. It's a change in how teams are building, and I'm not saying the good teams - the teams that are down," head coach Doc Rivers told the Orange County Register. "Everyone is stockpiling picks, the teams that are down. I don't know if that was true even five years ago. I think that's been a philosophical change."
Los Angeles needs help at the 2-guard position and the small forward position. They've been linked to Charlotte Hornets guard Lance Stephenson, and most recently, Wroten. In regard to the 3-position, the Clippers failed to land Josh Smith and could be now considering Miami Heat forward Luol Deng or Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green.
The problem for Rivers, though, is his team has limited salary cap space and few assets. After trading Jared Cunningham to Philadelphia on Wednesday, the Clippers are just $1.61 million before reaching the tax threshold. While it's about a $600,000 improvement from where they were Wednesday morning, it's still not a lot to work with.
In terms of assets, Rivers's best bargaining chips are the expiring contract of Tayshaun Prince and the promise of future draft picks.
Free agency is another option for the Clippers, and ESPN has reported them linked to veterans Ray Allen and Jermaine O'Neal.
