NBA Rumors: Proposed Three-Team Deal Would Send Spencer Dinwiddie And George Hill To LA Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers headed into the 2020 offseason with the goal of addressing their need for a starting-caliber point guard. They may have Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley on their roster, but neither can be considered a pure playmaker. In a recent article, Mo Dakhil of Bleacher Report created a list of trades that could help the Clippers solve their major backcourt problem.

The moves include a three-team deal that would send Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets and George Hill of the Oklahoma City Thunder to Los Angeles this fall. In the proposed scenario, the Nets would receive Beverley, and the Thunder would acquire Williams, a 2021 second-round pick, and a 2022 second-round pick.

Though it would cost them two important members of their rotation last season, the suggested trade could make a lot of sense for the Clippers as it would enable them to add not just one, but two point guards who would ease the load on Kawhi Leonard’s shoulders in terms of playmaking. As Dakhil noted, Hill would give the Clippers a “low-maintenance table setter” while Dinwiddie would provide them with a “scoring guard off the bench.”

“A starting five of Hill, Leonard, George, Marcus Morris and Ibaka with Dinwiddie, Luke Kennard and Ivica Zubac off the bench would make for a deep and versatile eight-man rotation. Change was needed after the Clippers bowed out of the playoffs in embarrassing fashion. They made a bold decision in firing Rivers and then made a big play in free agency by not only signing Ibaka but also letting Harrell walk down the hall. Now, with trade assets such as Williams and Beverley, they can make one more big move to push them over the top.”

If the trade becomes a reality, it might not only be beneficial for the Clippers, but also for the Nets and the Thunder. In exchange for Dinwiddie, the Nets would be receiving a defensive-minded guard in Beverley who might not mind coming off the bench to serve as Kyrie Irving’s primary backup next year. Though his contract also runs until the 2021-22 season, Beverley is more likely to opt into the final year than Dinwiddie.

Meanwhile, for the Thunder, the proposed three-way deal would allow them to add two more picks to their growing collection of future draft assets. If Williams performs well next season, the Thunder could try flipping him into a young player or another future first-round selection before next year’s trade deadline.