The Los Angeles Clippers are now in much deeper hole after they learned that All-Star power forward Blake Griffin will be missing one to two months with a sprained MCL in his left knee. The latest injury to their star forward proves to be a huge blow to the Clippers, who are just finding their footing after losing nine straight games.

With Griffin out for a while, the Clips are in danger of dropping further in the Western Conference playoff race. Many NBA scribes are beginning to speculate about the future of several players on the Clippers’ roster, including the trio of potential free agents DeAndre Jordan, Willie Reed, and Lou Williams.

The “Sweet Lou” trade

Williams, who averaged 18.6 points on 45 percent FG shooting and 38 percent from the 3-point territory, is viewed as the most feasible trade chip for the Clippers. While Jordan is by far the most valuable trade asset on the team’s roster, Williams is much easier to move because of his team-friendly expiring deal ($7 million).

According to a league insider, the Clippers are already receiving offers for the explosive combo guard and trade talks are expected to ramp up as the mid-season trade deadline (February 8) draws near. Williams is an ideal trade target for playoff contenders looking for some scoring punch off the bench. The Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors could all make a run at the former Sixth Man of the Year.

Dealing Jordan Clarkson

The trade market for high-scoring bench players is going to be loaded this year with Williams, Will Barton of the Denver Nuggets, and Jordan Clarkson of the Los Angeles Lakers likely up for grabs in February. Clarkson, in particular, has boosted his trade stock dramatically as he is putting up strong numbers (15.9 points on 49.6 percent FG shooting) through the first 20+ games with the Lakers.

Now a fixture on the second unit, Clarkson has become an aggressive scorer as he filled the void left by Williams – the Lakers’ leading scorer during the 2016-17 NBA season. With Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka looking to lure in two max free agents next summer, Clarkson is one of several Lakers players expected to be sacrificed for more cap space.

Per sources close to situation, the Lakers are already at the exploratory stage with several teams for a potential deal centered on Clarkson. No deal is imminent at the moment, but negotiations tend to gain more traction days before the trade deadline. The Blazers, Hornets and Nets are considered possible suitors for Clarkson, who has two years and $25 million left on his contract after this season.
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