4 Biggest Los Angeles Clippers Trades

Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers dribbling the ball against the Washington Wizards in December 2013.
(Wikimedia Commons/Keith Allison)
  • Here's a list of the biggest Los Angeles Clippers trades in franchise history.
  • Corey Maggette leads the list of players Los Angeles received through trade.
  • Other notable players the Clippers acquired were Elton Brand, Chris Paul, and Paul George.

One of the teams in the NBA that has yet to find much success is the Los Angeles Clippers. Unlike their city rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, who have already won 17 championships, the Clippers have not won a title since joining the league in 1970. Because of this, the team’s chances of lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy haven’t been consistent in basketball odds.

Another evidence of this subpar performance of the Clippers is their second-worst record for the longest NBA playoff drought with 15 straight seasons from 1977 to 1991. As a result of this lack of success, the team has tried toย  bring in superstars to help them win a title. Here’s the top-four players that the team received via trade.

Corey Maggette

Corey Maggette was one of the most reliable players that the Clippers had during the early 2000s. He was acquired by the team via a trade with the Orlando Magic in 2000. Along with Maggette, Los Angeles also received Keyon Dooling, Derek Strong, and cash in exchange for a future first-round pick. Maggette worked his way from being a bench player to eventually a starter.

The 6-foot-6 forward filled the void of the Clippers’ small forward position and instantly brought his double-figure scoring. Although he wasn’t selected to be an All-Star during his time with Los Angeles, Maggette’s best season came in 2004-05, where he averaged 22.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. He also helped the Clippers reach the conference semifinals of the 2006 playoffs.

Elton Brand

A year after bringing Magette to the team, the Clippers made another big-time trade by acquiring Elton Brand from the Chicago Bulls for Tyson Chandler and Brian Skinner. Brand was the first overall pick during the 1999 NBA Draft and a Rookie of the Year awardee in 2000 with his double-double average of 20.1 points and 10.0 rebounds with Chicago.

When he arrived in Los Angeles, Brand continued his dominance inside the paint area by bulldozing his way to the basket and consistently crashing the boards. The 6-foot-9 power forward and Maggette led the Clippers back to the postseason in 2006. In 459 games as a Clipper, Brand averaged 20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists across seven seasons.

Chris Paul

After then-NBA Commissioner David Stern vetoed the massive deal between the Lakers and Hornets in 2011 that would send Chris Paul to the Purple and Gold, its city rival Clippers snagged Paul and sent Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, and a future first-round pick. Aside from Paul, the Clippers also received cash and a future second-round pick from New Orleans.

“CP3” spearheaded a new era for the Clippers by forming the “Lob City” team with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. This was also the stretch when the team was a consistent playoff contender; in fact, throughout the six-year tenure of Paul with the team, they were able to clinch a postseason spot every year. Before the Clippers traded Paul to the Rockets in 2017, he played 409 games in six seasons and produced an average of 18.8 points, 9.8 assists, and 4.2 rebounds.

Paul George

The most recent superstar that the Clippers acquired via trade was Paul George, who joined the team in 2019 from the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was a hefty trade for Los Angeles, as they gave up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, multiple future first-round picks, and pick swaps. It was considered a fair trade at that time because George was an NBA MVP finalist.

“PG13” formed a superstar duo with Kawhi Leonard, and they led the team to four postseason campaigns in the past five seasons, which included a conference finals appearance in 2021, their best finish in franchise history. In four seasons as a Clipper, George averaged 23.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, which added three more NBA All-Star selections in 2019, 2021, and 2023.

4 Biggest Los Angeles Clippers Trades

YearPlayer AcquiredTrade Details
2000Corey MaggetteClippers received: Corey Maggette, Keyon Dooling, Derek Strong, and cash / Magic received: 2006 first-round pick
2001Elton BrandClippers received: Elton Brand / Bulls received: Tyson Chandler and Brian Skinner
2011Chris PaulClippers received: Chris Paul, a second-round pick, and cash / Hornets received: Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, and a first-round pick
2019Paul GeorgeClippers received: Paul George / Thunder received: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and five first-round picks

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