Our exit interview series on the 2026 Clippers continues with Isaiah Jackson, a backup center that was acquired at the trade deadline.
Basic Information
Height: 6’8
Weight: 220 pounds
Position: Center
Age: 24
Years in NBA: 5
Key Stats (for Clippers): 7.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks in 15.9 minutes per game across 17 games played (0 starts) on 76.4/0/54.8 (0.1 3PA, 1.8 FTA) shooting splits (74.1 True Shooting)
Expectations
Jackson was traded to the Clippers rather suddenly on February 5, the week of the trade deadline, along with Bennedict Mathurin and some draft capital in exchange for Ivica Zubac. Initial expectations for Jackson were murky. He was seen by most as a “throw-in” to the deal to make salaries work and just to fill the empty roster spot as a third center. With Brook Lopez still on the roster and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser showing promise in limited minutes, Jackson’s role seemed dependent on what the Clippers wanted to do. Make more of a pivot towards the future? Starting Yanic and giving him free reign while playing Jackson in a backup role appeared to be a possibility. Go all out for a playoff spot? Brook starting and Jackson or Niederhauser fighting for the backup role seemed more likely. Regardless, with nobody on the roster near the cache of Zu, Jackson getting a shot at the rotation appeared probable even if his overall role was limited.
Reality
The Clippers went a direction I did not fully expect, giving Brook Lopez the starting role and significant minutes while locking in Yanic as the backup. Jackson only appeared in three of his first 10 games as a Clipper, and played in only garbage time in those stints.
All that changed on March 4 in a game against the Pacers, as Niederhauser went down with injury and Jackson took his spot as the backup center. Niederhauser was quickly ruled out for the rest of the season with a Lisfranc fracture, pushing Jackson into the rotation on a full-time basis. Jackson played well for the next few weeks, usually logging between 14 and 22 minutes and chipping in a handful of points, some rebounds, and defensive stats. The Clippers also played decently well, going 9-5 in that stretch (against admittedly weak competition) to keep themselves in solid position for a playoff spot. Jackson’s plus minus, always a notable stat to keep an eye on, demonstrated his efficacy; he was only a minus in five of those 14 games, and was only a double-digit minus twice compared to a double-digit plus five times. Things seemed to be going well.
Then, on March 29, Jackson was ruled out with an ankle injury. He was sidelined the rest of the regular season, a final injury blow that cost the Clippers dearly, as they lost multiple key games due to the lack of an inside scoring presence that Jackson could have helped provide. Jackson was cleared for the Clippers’ play-in game, but did not actually log minutes, as he’d been out for a while and was probably not 100% anyway.
Thus, Jackson’s season ended with just 17 games played for the Clippers. However, like some of the other youngsters and unlike so many of the veterans, Jackson’s performance was a pleasant surprise. He was extremely efficient as a scorer, active on defense, and seemed to immediately find chemistry with the rest of the roster. Considering he’d been seen as a throw-in to the Zubac trade, his loss down the final couple weeks of the season seemed shockingly important to the team.
Future with Clippers
Jackson is under contract for next season at $7M and the following season at $6.4M. Considering his age, historic levels of production, and 17-game stint as a Clipper, that seems quite reasonable. The Clippers also seem like they could use his services, as Yanic will be out at least the start of next season with his Lisfranc injury and Brook Lopez will hopefully be put out to pasture as a rotation player. Thus, even though I don’t think Jackson is a key part of the Clippers’ future, it very much makes sense that he’d be on the roster next year, probably in a backup role. His ability to provide competent rotation center play will be needed regardless of who the Clippers are starting, especially until Yanic is ready to go in a larger-sized role.