The LA Clippers ended their seven-game losing streak on Sunday, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans. But they are still in the big hole that they dug for themselves, sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference with a 2-7 record.
With how competitive the West is looking, it’s difficult to imagine the Clippers making a run to make the playoffs, even after their injured players return. Sooner or later, the Clippers have to see the writing on the wall and be sellers before the trade deadline.
In fact, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon reported last week that “multiple scouts and executives” are keeping an eye on the Clippers as potential trade partners. Brook Lopez, Rui Hachimura, Kris Dunn, Max Strus, and Derrick Jones Jr. will all have some suitors around the league.
But it will be Kris Dunn who will surprise a lot of people with how in-demand he will be and what type of return the Clippers will get for him. And the front office can’t afford to let this opportunity pass by.
Clippers Must Take Advantage of Kris Dunn’s Skyrocketing Trade Value
Dunn was already a coveted veteran entering the season. He was coming off a solid 2025-26 campaign where he played all 82 games and was one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. He averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game on 47.6/37.4/76.5 shooting splits.
This season, he has been even better. He has yet to miss a game once again and is playing even more minutes than last year. He has increased his averages to 9.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. He is also in the midst of his most efficient season with 63.6% True Shooting. Having increased his three-point percentage to 39.1, Dunn has re-established himself as an elite three-and-D guard.
Of course, Dunn’s real value comes on defense. With him on the floor, the Clippers are a whopping 20.1 points per 100 possessions better defensively than when he is off the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. With Dunn on the floor, the Clippers have a defensive rating commensurate with the sixth-best defense in the league. Without him, the Clippers are the worst defense in the NBA. He has the best on/off rating on the team.
This means that Dunn could easily fit on any team and make them better. To make him an even more attractive trade target, Dunn has one of the most team-friendly deals in the league.
He is on an expiring $5.7 million salary. The acquiring team would have to give him a new deal at the end of the season, and Dunn is 32. So, there is a chance that his next deal may not age well. But even for just this season and the playoffs, Dunn would make sense as a short-term rental.
The Clippers aren’t going anywhere. Instead of letting Dunn walk for nothing in the summer of 2027, the Clippers should see what they can get for him on the trade market. If he continues to play as well as he has all season, that return will keep getting better until the trade deadline. That will make it even more imperative for the Clippers to trade him.
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