Top 3 assets LA Clippers can use to bolster their squad further in the 2021 NBA offseason

The LA Clippers had a 2020/21 campaign to remember as the team made the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history. Tyronn Lue and co. will now look to improve the roster in the upcoming offseason and do one better in next year's playoffs.

The LA Clippers have a stacked roster equipped to play various types of basketball at the business end of the season. The Clippers' versatility was quite evident in the 2021 NBA playoffs, as Tyronn Lue was able to throw various looks at the opposition teams time and again.

However, to bolster the squad further, the LA Clippers will have to part ways with some of the players in exchange for better options. On that note, here are the Clippers' three best trade chips going into the 2021 NBA offseason -

#3 - Marcus Morris, Power Forward

Phoenix Suns v Los Angeles Clippers - Game Six

Marcus Morris has been a serviceable option for the LA Clippers so far. Morris personifies the modern 3&D role player, as the power forward can knock down his threes at an efficient rate while playing some good defense.

Morris averaged 12 points and 4 rebounds on 37.5% shooting from downtown during the postseason. His minutes came mostly at the power forward spot, but Lue also used him as a small-ball center against the Utah Jazz as it helped him keep five shooters on the floor at all times.

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Despite Morris' obvious utility, the LA Clippers can get better or equally impactful players on a more team-friendly contract. Morris is owed close to $50 million over the next three years, and the Clippers will be better off dispensing with him in the coming offseason.

Marcus Morris' aforementioned traits make him a player who can command considerable interest, and he is certainly one of the LA Clippers' best trade assets at this point.

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— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) July 16, 2021

#2 - Ivica Zubac, Center

Phoenix Suns v Los Angeles Clippers - Game Four

Former LA Lakers front office executive Magic Johnson has received considerable slander for trading Ivica Zubac to bitter rivals the LA Clippers, as the young big has proved to be a weapon in the paint in the last two seasons.

Zubac averaged 9 points and 7 rebounds during the course of the 2020-21 NBA season, converting 65% of his field-goal attempts. He is one of the most underrated offensive rebounders in the league, having logged 2.6 offensive boards per game last season.

The LA Clippers should look to trade Zubac off once his value is at its peak. The team doesn't have an abundance of trade chips, and Zubac could help them get a handsome return this offseason. He is on a trajectory to become a solid starting center for contenders, but Tyronn Lue's small-ball style means the LA Clippers will profit more from parting ways with him rather than keeping him.

#1 - Patrick Beverley, Point Guard

Los Angeles Clippers Patrick Beverley in NBA action against Phoenix Suns in Game Six of Western Conference finals

Very few players can match LA Clippers guard Patrick Beverley's intensity on the defensive side of the ball. A 'point guard' by trade, Beverley has proved himself to be a pest on defense against some of the best offensive players in the league.

Beverley excels in all facets of defense - one-on-one, help-defense and can even keep up with players who are slightly bigger than him. In a league that is moving towards a more and more offense-oriented approach, Beverley stands as a unique, undersized defensive-minded guard.

However, he is extremely limited on the offensive front. Patrick Beverley averaged 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game last season, and failed to do anything of note with the ball in his hands. Beverley is part of the LA Clippers' old guard, but the franchise should look to cash in on him this summer.