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Can the Clippers trade their way past the Lakers?

Why have the LA Clippers slumped since mid-December, losing ground in the Western Conference standings? Could a trade boost their chances of winning the first championship in franchise history?

On Dec. 13, the Clippers were 20-7 and looking up only at their Staples Center co-tenants, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the West standings. But since then, the Clippers have been barely better than .500 (8-6), sliding into fourth in the West and putting their chances of hosting a playoff series in jeopardy.

Even if this is just a midseason malaise for the Clippers, could they stand to upgrade their core in anticipation of a possible postseason matchup against the Lakers -- one that now looks as if it could come a round earlier than anticipated?