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Report: Clippers looking to acquire draft pick

C.J. Wilcox Los Angeles Clippers Presser and Portraits

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 30: Doc Rivers, Head Coach of the Los Angeles Clippers speaks during the press conference welcoming CJ Wilcox #30 of the Los Angeles Clippers on June 30, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

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The Clippers don’t have a pick in the upcoming draft.

They traded their first-rounder to the Celtics to get Doc Rivers, and they dealt their second-rounder to the Nuggets in 2009 for Cheikh Samb and cash.

Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times:

https://twitter.com/EricPincus/status/602265485514809345

This is a little surprising for a couple reasons.

1. The Clippers are tying to win now, not develop youngsters. Rivers has drafted two players since taking over the Clippers, Reggie Bullock and C.J. Wilcox. Bullock barely played before Doc Rivers gave him away to make room for Austin Rivers. Wilcox remains on the roster and is mostly stuck to the bench.

2. The Clippers lack assets to trade for a 2015 draft pick. They’ve already dealt multiple future picks, and they’re notoriously short on depth. Jamal Crawford is most commonly mentioned in trade rumors, but would the Clippers really deal their only reliable reserve for a rookie?

The one advantage the Clippers have is money. If Steve Ballmer is willing to spend, the Clippers could buy a draft pick.

Brooklyn is in a similar boat – looking to move up in the draft without the basketball assets to do so. Perhaps a cash-hungry team with extra picks – looking at you, 76ers – could leverage the Clippers and Nets into a bidding war.