7 Biggest Trades in Los Angeles Clippers History, Ranked

The Los Angeles Clippers have made many moves to give them a better shot of winning games and improve their championship basketball odds at a sportsbook.

The Clippers have never made good on their short NBA championship odds, but they have provided a ton of excitement over the years.

With that said, what are the seven biggest trades in Clippers history? Let’s find out.

7 Biggest Los Angeles Clippers Trades in Team History

1. Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, and First-Round Pick for Chris Paul and Two Second-Round Picks

The NBA vetoed a trade that would’ve paired Chris Paul with Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers in December 2011, but the New Orleans Hornets sent Paul to the other Hollywood team.

CP3 delivered many Oscar-worthy highlights featuring slick passes, handles, and lobs to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, forming “Lob City.”

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, Five First-Round Picks, and Two Pick Swaps for Paul George

Los Angeles executed this trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019 to pair Paul George with Kawhi Leonard.

George helped the Clippers get to the Western Conference finals in 2021, but they never won a championship despite their high expectations.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is eight years younger than George and has developed into a perennial MVP candidate, so this is a trade the Clippers would likely want to have back.

3. Tyson Chandler and Brian Skinner for Elton Brand

Elton Brand consistently provided solid all-around numbers during his time with the Clippers after coming over from the Chicago Bulls in 2001.

He averaged 24.7 points on 52.7% shooting, 10 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game during the 2005-06 season, finishing seventh in MVP voting. 

He also helped the Clippers get back to the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

4. Blake Griffin, Brice Johnson, and Willie Reed for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, First-Round Pick and Second-Round Pick

Griffin is one of the most popular and loved players to ever put on a Clippers jersey, but he was shockingly dealt to the Detroit Pistons in 2018.

Though fans associated him with his powerful and posterizing dunks, he also had a unique all-around skill set on both ends of the floor that helped make the Clippers go from a laughingstock to a powerhouse team.

5. Marko Jaric and Lionel Chambers for Sam Cassell and First-Round Pick

Sam Cassell brought tremendous leadership, scoring, and playmaking for the Clippers after coming over from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2005.

His impact helped the Clippers get to the playoffs in 2006, though they ended up falling to Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs.

6. Chris Paul for Sam Dekker, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, DeAndre Liggins, Darrun Hilliard, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Wiltjer, First-Round Pick, and Cash

Paul moved onto the Houston Rockets in 2017 after several exciting seasons in Los Angeles, but Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell formed a dynamic duo off of the Clippers bench to help the organization develop a new culture intriguing enough to bring Leonard and George back home.

CP3 helped the Rockets get to the Western Conference finals following this trade.

7. First-Round Pick for Corey Maggette, Keyon Dooling, Derek Strong, and Cash

It didn’t take much to get Corey Maggette from the Orlando Magic in 2000, but he gave the Clippers a nice return on their investment.

Maggette averaged 17.3 points in his eight seasons with the squad, filling in nicely next to Brand.