Could Clippers’ rough start lead to a trade deadline fire sale?

The Clippers don’t have to decide their entire future after seven games. But at 1-6, they probably ought to start thinking about what they’d be willing to sell.

That’s the argument from Cem Yolbulan of Clippers On SI⁠, who believes the team should use the months before February’s trade deadline to turn veterans into draft picks and younger talent.

Calling the season lost already is a little strong. Injured players returning could change how the Clippers look, and seven games don’t tell you everything.

Still, there’s a difference between getting healthier and becoming a team worth keeping together. That’s the question the Clippers will need to answer.

Yolbulan identifies Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr. and Brook Lopez as potential trade pieces. Dunn and Jones offer perimeter defense on expiring contracts. Lopez, 38, could give a contender another option at center.

Those are logical names to consider. The suggested returns, including a possible first-round pick for Dunn or Jones, are Yolbulan’s assessment, though. They aren’t reported offers.

The bigger decisions would involve Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram. Garland’s $42.1 million salary makes any deal a substantial undertaking, while Ingram needs to return and show he can help someone. His expiring contract could nevertheless attract interest.

There’s also an unusual complication. As Yolbulan notes, Lawrence Frank and Steve Ballmer are suspended until after the deadline following the Kawhi Leonard investigation. That leaves interim decision-makers potentially weighing moves that would reshape the franchise well beyond this season.

It’s one thing to trade a veteran reserve. It’s another to decide the organization needs to start over.

The Clippers’ depleted draft assets give them a reason to explore selling. But a rough start doesn’t mean they should accept whatever comes their way, either. The point would be to improve their future, and that still requires getting something worthwhile back.

A fire sale isn’t inevitable. A serious evaluation of who belongs in the next version of this team probably should be. The Clippers have time before February, but they need to use it for more than hoping everyone gets healthy.

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