Just 19 games into the season, and with Blake Griffin, Patrick Beverley, Danilo Gallinari, and Milos Teodosic in various states of disrepair, the Los Angeles Clippers are teetering on the precipice between disaster and run-of-the-mill mediocrity.
With the vultures already circling the decaying corpse of a once-perennial playoff team, let's take stock of the Clippers' veteran assets and what it would take to acquire them should L.A. embrace a full-scale fire sale.
PF/C Blake Griffin
2017-18 salary: $29.5 million
What it will cost: Multiple first-round picks and/or young assets, and enough expiring or near-expiring veteran contracts to balance his incoming salary
Griffin - who can't be traded before Jan. 15 - isn't going anywhere. The most important player in franchise history (no joke) just signed a whopping $171.1-million deal through 2022. Plus, his lengthy injury history (including his current MCL sprain) will drive his price down. L.A. would need an absolute haul to cut bait on Griffin and truly start over.
C DeAndre Jordan
2017-18 salary: $22.6 million
What it will cost: A first-round draft pick, a young big man, and expiring contracts
Jordan's name has come up in trade rumors since the summer, and with the team's struggles, the overtures for a blockbuster move have only crescendoed. He's one of the true impact interior players without shooting range in the game today, and would instantly lift the defense of any championship contender. Jordan's ability to decline his $24.1-million option for next season adds some uncertainty which could keep his asking price in check.
SF/PF Danilo Gallinari
2017-18 salary: $20.6 million
What it will cost: Short-term contracts, a sub-blue-chip rookie-scale player
If the Clippers are set on tearing it down, it stands to reason they won't have much use for the oft-injured Gallinari, on the books for $44.2 million over two years after this season. The Italian would be an extravagant luxury for a team already close to contender status, but his health risks and large contract limits what the Clippers can demand in return.
Gallinari and fellow 2017 free-agent signees Milos Teodosic and Willie Reed can't be traded until Dec. 15.
PG/SG Austin Rivers
2017-18 salary: $11.8 million
What it will cost: Someone willing to take on his contract
The threat of Rivers picking up his $12.7-million option for next season is likely enough to dissuade most teams from taking a gamble on what amounts to meager guard depth. With Doc Rivers still in the fold, a straight-up salary dump (possibly even costing the Clippers a pick) is out of the question.
PG/SG Lou Williams
2017-18 salary: $7 million
What it will cost: A protected pick and an expiring contract
Injecting the former Sixth Man of the Year into any roster dramatically improves the second-unit offense. It took Corey Brewer and a late first-round pick for the Rockets to pry Williams from the Lakers last year; as an expiring deal, expect a weaker haul.
PG Milos Teodosic
2017-18 salary: $6 million
What it will cost: A protected pick
Teodosic's most recent body of work includes 32 total minutes of NBA action, some flashy passing in the preseason, and international play. It's hard to know what you're getting, but teams with weak backcourt depth could roll the dice with Teodosic as a backup point guard.
SF Wesley Johnson
2017-18 salary: $5.9 million
What it will cost: An expiring contract
Shooting career highs from the field (47.8 percent) and 3-point land (39.3 percent) improves Johnson's trade value, but he still amounts to a slightly below-average win with a $6.1-million player option for next year. A team would have to be pretty desperate for wing depth to take a shot on him.
PF/C Willie Reed
2017-18 salary: $1.5 million
What it will cost: Pretty much anything of objective value
Reed is a decent backup center on a cheap, expiring deal. If he's not in the Clippers' long-term plans, they may as well try to acquire a second-round pick or pick-swap for him.
PF Brice Johnson
2017-18 salary: $1.3 million
What it will cost: Second-round pick
Johnson has played eight games since being drafted No. 25 in 2016. If the Clippers do trade Jordan, Johnson will likely join the rotation. Some team might give up a protected second-round pick, if only to kick the tires on the UNC product before he hits unrestricted free agency.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)