Our player preview series on the 2027 Clippers continues with two-way rookie big man Jamarion Sharp.

Basic Information

Height: 7’5

Weight: 235 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 25

Years in NBA: Rookie

G-League Stats: 7.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 4.1 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game across 39 games played on 73.5/42.9 shooting splits (1.1 FTA) with 74.2% TS

Contract Status: Two-way contract

Expectations

There usually aren’t many expectations for two-way players, and that’s even more true for undrafted rookies like Sharp, who was signed by the Clippers over the summer after going undrafted in 2024. However, due to the Clippers’ weakness at center, some people think that Sharp will have a real role on this team. Certainly, early in the season, before Yanic Konan Niederhauser gets healthy, there’s a chance that Sharp gets into the rotation if Brook Lopez or Isaiah Jackson is out with injury, sickness, or foul trouble. Sharp is the third-string center right now, and the Clippers no longer have viable small-ball options, so it’s not hard to imagine him getting minutes. If he does, the hope will be he’s just competent enough to keep the Clippers from actively sinking during his minutes. Anything more than that would be gravy.

Strengths

Sharp is an exceptional shot blocker who averaged 4.1 swats in 25 minutes in the G-League, and averaged an incredible 4.6 blocks one season in the NCAA (albeit in a mid-major conference). He is so tall that opposing players will think twice before shooting around the basket with him there, and he clearly has good enough coordination and reflexes to make simple reads in alignment with defensive schemes. Anytime he plays real minutes, he seems like a lock to get a block or two as well as deter multiple other shots.

Sharp is not a prolific scorer by any means, but he shot 73.5% from the field last year in the G-League, 60.1% the year before that, and close to 60% at Ole Miss. He is so tall that he can probably convert one or two easy lobs/finishes per game, especially when playing with guys like Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler that are adept playmakers. Being tall results in easy buckets, even if they aren’t frequent or fancy.

Sharp’s sheer height also makes him a threat on the offensive glass. He’s not strong or athletic enough to be a dominant presence out there, but he can simply reach and grab balls before almost anyone else on the court can, and he is so close to the basket that any offensive rebound should result in a finish or foul.

Weaknesses

Sharp offers almost no value on the offensive end outside of offensive rebounds (he’s not strong enough to be a true force there but is so tall he gets a decent amount) and simple finishes around the rim. Sharp can’t shoot, he can’t dribble, he can’t pass, and he can’t make free throws. Thus, if he plays for a significant period and is having an impact, a “Hack-a-Sharp” could be employed upon him. It’s very tough to play guys in the modern NBA that have no ball skills, even big men, and that is something the Clippers will run into if Sharp makes his way into rotation minutes.

There is also seemingly a degree of fatigue that will dog Sharp. Humans his size being able to run and jump up and down frequently is crazy enough, and it’s notable that he averaged only 25 minutes per game in the G-League and never played more than 29 minutes per game in college. The physicality and athleticism of the NBA game could be really tough for Sharp. It’s doubtful he’d play extended minutes outside of garbage time anyway, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

On defense, while Sharp is a monster rim protector, he does not have the lateral quickness to switch at all out on the perimeter. I would guess that when he plays, the Clippers will have to run pretty standard drop defensive coverages to protect and optimize Sharp. Some all-time defensive players have relatively limited schematic capabilities, but it’s something the Clippers will have to work around.

Summary

Any player with Sharp’s dimensions has at least some intrigue. There are not many 7’5 human beings in the world, and even fewer of them that can play professional sports. The lack of skill removes most of that intrigue, but Sharp should be able to offer rim protection and have some fun highlights, and for a fourth-string center on a two-way deal that’s fine. I don’t imagine Sharp having a long tenure on the Clippers, but who knows.

Clippers 2027 Player Preview: Jamarion Sharp
Robert Flom

I’m on vacation and will not be watching this one, but here are some basics for the game.

Information

Where: Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch: TBD

Projected Starting Lineups

Warriors: Steph Curry – Brandin Podziemski – Yaxel Lendeborg – Draymond Green – Kristaps Porzingis

Clippers: Darius Garland – Kris Dunn – Brandon Ingram – Rui Hachimura – Brook Lopez

I’m pre-writing this game thread a couple weeks early due to said vacation, so I will not be plugged into any stories in development during media day or early training camp. The above starting lineup is my best guess as to what the Clippers go with: Garland, Ingram, and Lopez are locks, Hachimura was their big free agent signing who fits in decently with his shooting, and Dunn adds perimeter defense and a bit of ballhandling. The Dunn spot is the most questionable to me, as that could be Derrick Jones Jr. or Max Strus and I would not be surprised.

As for the game itself, outside of noting which players appear to be ahead of others in the rotation, there’s not much to take away. The result doesn’t matter, which players shots go in doesn’t matter, and the whole thing will be forgotten about by the second game of the regular season. I hope that the Clippers show up healthy, that the young guys maybe flash a couple of new skills, and that the rotations make sense. Outside of that, it will be good for the focus to be on the Clippers’ basketball team, and not off-the-court stuff.

Clippers 2027 Preseason Game 1: Game Thread
Robert Flom

The once mighty Pacific Division has fallen far, placing in my opinion as the weakest of the six divisions in the NBA, with one playoff team, a few play-in hopefuls, and one bottom-feeder.

Los Angeles Lakers

Additions: Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Jaden Hardy, Kevon Looney, Ziaire Williams, Cameron Carr (24^th pick in 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, De’Andre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber, Drew Timme, Kobe Bufkin

Other: Re-signed Austin Reaves to a max deal

Outlook: The Lakers were a very good regular season team last year, and it just seems like JJ Redick is an excellent head coach for driving consistent winning. The Lakers did overhaul more than half of their roster, including basically all of their rotation players but Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but they did get younger and more athletic for the most part. I thought they overpaid pretty significantly for Walker Kessler, and I didn’t like that deal for them – but there’s no question he’s a massive upgrade at center and will help stabilize their defense. The Lakers don’t have enough perimeter defense or a third guy good enough behind Luka and Reaves for me to think they are championship contenders, but if Luka is healthy they feel like a lock to win a lot of games and be a dangerous playoff opponent.

Prediction: 52-30 (Last year predicted 50-32, actually 53-29)

Golden State Warriors

Additions: Yaxel Lendeborg (11th pick in the 2026 Draft), Georges Niang, Brandon Williams

Subtractions: Quinten Post, Seth Curry, Malevy Leons

Other: Re-signed Draymond Green, Re-signed Kristaps Porzingis, Re-signed Al Horford, Re-signed Gary Payton II, Re-signed De’Anthony Melton, Re-signed Charles Bassey

Outlook: The Warriors seem stuck in a holding pattern as Steph Curry ages into the final portion of his career. Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL tear killed whatever minimal chance the Warriors had to be a real playoff team last year, and his injury should keep him out for much of this year as well. Add in Moses Moody’s torn Achilles that will probably hold him back for most of if not the entirety of the 2027 season and you have a Warriors’ team that is probably worse on paper than the one that started last season. The big wild card is rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who was probably the best player in college last season and powered Michigan to a national championship. Lendeborg is old for a rookie but should be able to help out right away: the question is whether he’s just a decent role player or could be a high-level starter. Even if Lendeborg does prove to be an impact player, if Steph Curry slips at all the Warriors will be fully cooked anyway. It’s hard to imagine them being an above-average team considering the age of Steph, Draymond, Horford, and other rotation players, but they will probably be competent enough.

Prediction: 35-47 (Last year predicted 46-36, actually 37-45)

Phoenix Suns

Additions: Miles Bridges, Luke Kennard, Koa Peat (30^th pick in 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Amir Coffey, Nigel Hayes-Davis

Other: Extended Dillon Brooks, Re-signed Collin Gillespie, Re-signed Mark Williams, Re-signed Jordan Goodwin, Re-signed Haywood Highsmith

Outlook: The Suns were one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA last season, recovering from the disappointing Kevin Durant era with a hard-playing, gritty team that clawed its way into the playoffs despite a talent disadvantage. Those teams are fun, but its very hard to sustain that level of effort year-to-year, and the Suns won’t be able to take anyone by surprise this season. There’s also not a ton of internal development available to the Suns outside of second-year big man Khaman Maluach, as most of the team are in their primes and not likely to improve significantly. I also hated the acquisition of Miles Bridges, both because of his off-the-court awfulness as well as his on-court impact. The Suns will be ok, and I could see them squeaking into the play-in again, but I’ve built in some regression for this year.

Prediction: 34-48 (Last year predicted 29-53, actually 45-37)

Los Angeles Clippers

Additions: Keaton Wagler (5^th pick in 2026 Draft), Brandon Ingram, Rui Hachimura, Max Strus, Gradey Dick, Baba Miller (36^th pick in 2026 Draft), Nick Martinelli (55^th pick in 2026 Draft), Johni Broome

Subtractions: Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, Bennedict Mathurin, Nicolas Batum, Bogdan Bogdanovic

Other: Re-signed Bradley Beal, Re-signed Kobe Sanders, Re-signed Jordan Miller

Outlook: As always, I won’t go too in-depth on the Clippers, since that’s what our regularly scheduled content is for. But overall, I think the Clippers will be ok to bad this season, with their upside limited because of the defensive end of the floor. Their starting center is approximately 1 million years old in basketball age, Darius Garland is their best offensive player but is awful on defense, and a lot of their other high-minute players like Brandon Ingram and Rui Hachimura are bad on that end too. Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. can only do so much on that end. For the actual long-term outlook of the team, I just hope Keaton Wagler looks good off the bench. If not, this will be a long, long year.

Prediction: 33-49 (Last year predicted 51-31, actually 42-40)

Sacramento Kings

Additions: Darius Acuff (7th pick in 2026 Draft), Alex Karaban (29^th pick in 2026 Draft), Emanuel Sharp (45^th pick in 2026 Draft), Ben Simmons

Subtractions: DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook, Devin Carter

Other: Re-signed Precious Achiuwa, Re-signed Daeqwon Plowden

Outlook: The Kings were trying to be competent last year but failed miserably, finally pulling the plug around halfway through the season to lean into the tank. They were not rewarded with a top lottery pick for their troubles, but did secure Darius Acuff, their most exciting young prospect since Tyrese Haliburton over a half-decade ago. Unfortunately for the Kings, the detritus of their previous team is still around, including the unhappy Domantas Sabonis, mightily overpaid Zach LaVine, and other expensive veterans like Malik Monk and De’Andre Hunter. Acuff should be fun, I like the Kings’ other rookies well enough, and a couple of their second-year players like Nique Clifford and Dylan Cardwell could be ok complementary pieces. But this team seems like a lock to be a bottom-feeder barring Acuff astonishing as a rookie or guys like LaVine and Hunter having unexpected returns to form.

Prediction: 25-57 (Last year predicted 37-45, actually 22-60)

2027 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division
Robert Flom

Our player preview series for the 2027 Clippers continues with one of the newest additions to the team, young guard Gradey Dick.

Basic Information

Height: 6’7

Weight: 205 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward

Age: 22

Years in NBA: 3

Regular Season Stats: 6.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.6 turnovers in 14.0 minutes per game across 76 games played (1 start) on 41.9/30.1/87.5 shooting splits (2.4 3PA, 1.2 FTA) with 53.8% TS

Contract Status: In the last year of his first-round rookie contract, making $7.13M this year

Expectations

To be brutally honest, Gradey Dick was a throw-in to the Kawhi Leonard trade to make salaries work. It’s possible the Clippers wanted Gradey in the trade (he was a lottery pick just three years ago), but based on what we know of the negotiations, there were other young players that the Raptors held onto, and the Clippers “settled” for Gradey as the second salaried piece of the deal.

Gradey will probably face an uphill climb to get minutes, as positionally he is an off-ball wing, and there are a bunch of those on this roster. Jordan Miller being out for most of the season takes one of those players away, but Gradey will still be competing for minutes with Brandon Ingram, Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Max Strus, Bradley Beal, and Kobe Sanders – and that’s not even counting fringier youngsters like Cam Christie (probably going to get cut) or Nick Martinelli (two-way). The Clippers seem like they want to compete this year, which makes sense given they don’t own their own draft pick, so I don’t think just being young will give Gradey an edge over the other guys.

Ultimately, fair expectations for Gradey would be that he gets rotation minutes at some point during the season, and is able to fill in competently enough as a reserve guard. He’s young enough and has shown enough in the NBA that a breakout in a new situation is possible, but I just don’t know if he’ll get the minutes to have such a breakthrough.

Strengths

Gradey hasn’t revealed a ton of strengths at the NBA level, at least consistently. Over his first two season, Gradey was a relatively good shooter, making 36.5% of his threes in his rookie season on medium-low volume (4.0 attempts) and then 35% of his threes his second season on higher volume (6.0) attempts – not great, but certainly a capable outside marksman. Unfortunately, one of the reasons Gradey was pushed out of the Raptors’ rotation last year is that his three-point shooting fell off a cliff, with percentages and volume plummeting. He was billed as a good shooter out of Kansas, so maybe some tweaks to his jumper or approach could get him back on track. If the three-point shooting doesn’t come around, he probably won’t have much of an NBA career.

Sadly, there’s not a whole lot else to bank on. Gradey has good size for an off-guard, standing at 6’7 and weighing somewhat over 200 pounds. While not a good defender, he’s improved over his career to being more or less fine, and is big enough to not get bullied or picked on as much as smaller guards can be. If he continues bulking up a bit, he could be able to guard larger players more consistently, making him a fit for switch-heavy defensive schemes.

Weaknesses

Gradey is somewhat below average or worse at scoring inside the arc, rebounding, and playmaking. He did improve as a driver last year, attaining by far his best mark on two-point scoring (53%) in his career, with a notable jump to at-the-rime scoring all the way up to 71.7% (pretty good). However, he rarely gets to the line, and is an inefficient shooter from floater, midrange, and long two distances. Gradey made strides as a rebounder and passer his sophomore season, when he had the largest role of his three-year career, but those numbers both fell back last year as well.

In short, Gradey isn’t awful, but he has not shown above-average skills at almost anything through three seasons. That’s a base that can be worked upon – if he can just nudge up his three-point shooting and become average at defense, he’d be a fine “3 and D” role player that a lot of teams would value – but does mean that he doesn’t have much to fall back upon if the three-point shooting doesn’t improve.

Summary

Gradey Dick is in the last year of his deal and this front office probably has no attachment to him, so it’s hard to map out his future on the team. If he plays well this season, he’s young enough to become part of this team’s core moving forward. If he doesn’t play well, the Clippers will be able to part ways at the end of the season, or use his salary as ballast for a larger trade. Even if he doesn’t play much or play all that well, the Clippers could keep him around as a back-of-roster flier on a veteran’s minimum. I think there’s at least some hope for Gradey to turn his career around, and it would be a really nice story if he rehabbed his career in Los Angeles. I don’t have a ton of confidence that happens, especially since it’s hard to map his road to minutes, but he is talented and this team could use a player of his archetype.

2027 Clippers Player Preview: Gradey Dick
Robert Flom

My preview of the 2027 NBA season continues with a look at the Southwest Division, home to the 2026 Finals runner-ups, multiple very intriguing young teams, and the laughingstock Pelicans.

San Antonio Spurs

Additions: Tobias Harris, Jayden Quaintance (20th pick in 2026 Draft), Tarris Reed (26^th pick in 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Kelly Olynyk, Lindy Waters III, Bismack Biyombo, Mason Plumlee

Other: Signed Victor Wembanyama to a five-year max extension, Re-signed Harrison Barnes, Re-signed Julian Champagnie, Re-signed Jordan McLaughlin

Outlook: The Spurs are one of the teams I was most wrong on last season. I did not foresee Victor Wembanyama becoming probably the best per-minute player in the NBA in year three, nor did I expect a massive second-year jump from Stephon Castle, nor did I think Dylan Harper would immediately be a starting-level player in his rookie season. The scariest thing for the rest of the NBA is that all of those players are still at the points in their careers where further major leaps are quite possible if not likely. The only thing holding the Spurs back from being a lock to win 65+ games is the health of Wemby: players of his size are just always going to be more prone to missing time, and the Spurs have (rightfully) been extremely cautious with him throughout his career. Even so, the Spurs have enough talent on their roster to make up for some Wemby absences, and I like what they did in the offseason and the draft in adding big man swings as well as strengthening/retaining their forward depth. I currently have the Spurs as title favorites as well as favorites to lead the Western Conference in wins. They are terrifying.

Prediction: 63-19 (Last year predicted 39-43, actually 62-20)

Houston Rockets

Additions: Marcus Smart, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Julian Phillips, Bruce Thornton (31^st pick in 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Josh Okogie, Aaron Holiday, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jeff Green

Other: Signed Amen Thompson to a five-year extension, Signed Tari Eason to a four-year extension

Outlook: The Rockets are one of the teams I feel more confident in this season: to me, they are the definition of a solid playoff team without true championship upside. Kevin Durant is still great on the court, Alperen Sengun is a fine second option (I think he’s probably better suited as a third banana), Amen Thompson is one of the best perimeter defenders in the sport, and there are a bunch of complementary role players to fill in gaps. A lot depends on Fred VanVleet, who missed all of last season due to injury and is a very undersized guard getting close to his mid-30s. If he can return to a sub All-Star level of play the Rockets will be much more dangerous. If not, it’s hard to see this team having enough offensive firepower to be a contender, barring leaps from their young guys. The Rockets’ defense and rebounding should be top-tier, and that should be enough for them to easily secure a playoff spot.

Prediction: 51-31 (Last year predicted 56-26, actually 52-30)

Dallas Mavericks

Additions: Morez Johnson (9^th pick in 2026 Draft), Santi Aldama, Zaccharie Risacher, Sergio de Larrea (25^th pick in 2026 Draft), Marcus Sasser, Tarik Biberovic

Subtractions: Klay Thompson, Marvin Bagley III, Brandon Williams, Khris Middleton, Ryan Nembhard

Other: Re-signed Moussa Cisse

Outlook: This offseason the Mavs continued to reshape their roster around reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg and move on from the remnants of the short-lived Anthony Davis era. The Mavs do have a lot of talent, but it is an ill-fitting roster that features a large proportion of forwards and very few guards. If Kyrie Irving, who is in his mid-30s and missed all of last season while recovering from knee surgery – does not look like star-level Kyrie, this team probably won’t have enough creation juice to be very good. The other swing piece is fourth-year center Dereck Lively II, who looked like a future star after his rookie year but has barely played the last two seasons due to injury. There is real upside for the Mavs: a big second-year leap from Flagg plus healthy-ish seasons from Kyrie and Lively could place them in the upper tier of the play-in race in the Western Conference. I’m not quite that high on the Mavs, but I do think they have significantly more overall talent than the teams below them in the Conference, and should ultimately place in the back half of the play-in.

Prediction: 36-46 (Last year predicted 44-38, actually 26-56)

Memphis Grizzlies

Additions: Cam Boozer (3^rd pick in 2026 Draft), Jerami Grant, Quinten Post, Isaiah Stewart, Karim Lopez (21^st pick in 2026 Draft), Kris Murray

Subtractions: Ja Morant, Santi Aldama, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Clarke (RIP), Rayan Rupert

Other:

Outlook: The Grizzlies finally pulled the plug on the Ja Morant era this offseason, sending the former superstar to Portland for a return bereft of draft assets or young players. The minimal return for Ja has to sting much, much less considering the Grizzlies’ fortune in drafting Cam Boozer at 3^rd in the loaded 2026 Draft. Boozer (to me, anyway) is a true franchise foundational piece that can be a lodestar for the Grizzlies for the next decade. Add in Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, and some competent veterans and you have a very promising young team. I do think the Grizzlies will be bad this year just due to how young their team is, and especially because I need to see Edey stay healthy for a full season before penciling in the leap that many are predicting. Still, they should be league pass darlings, and it would not surprise me at all if Boozer is good enough right away to drag this team into the bottom of the play-in race.

Prediction: 29-53 (Last year predicted 42-40, actually 25-57)

New Orleans Pelicans

Additions: Bennedict Mathurin, AJ Johnson, Taj Gibson

Subtractions: Kevon Looney, Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy

Other: Re-signed De’Andre Jordan

Outlook: One of the worst teams in the NBA last year, the Pelicans, shockingly, made almost no moves this offseason outside of retaining veteran locker room presence DeAndre Jordan and buying low on restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin. Even though I’m not a fan of Mathurin, he’s a good upside swing for the Pelicans, who need as much talent as they can get. Dejounte Murray will be healthy to start this season, unlike last year, which will help, and Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears having a year of NBA play under their belt could also make them more impactful. But, at the end of the day, this team was awful last year, and even if they’re a bit more competent this season, there’s not much to indicate they will be anything other than bottom-dwellers yet again.

Prediction: 25-57 (Last year predicted 27-55, actually 26-56)

2027 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division
Robert Flom

Our player preview series for the 2027 Clippers continues with veteran guard Kris Dunn.

Basic Information

Height: 6’3

Weight: 205 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard/Point Guard

Age: 32

Years in NBA: 10

Regular Season Stats: 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.4 turnovers in 27.2 minutes per game across 82 games played (68 starts) on 47.6/37.4/76.5 shooting splits (2.6 3PA, 1.0 FTA) with 58.1% TS

Contract Status: In the last year of a 3 year, $16.3M deal, making $5.7M

Expectations

Much like the last two seasons, Kris is coming into the season with expectations of being a bench guard that plays significant rotation minutes for the Clippers. However, the last two years, Dunn frequently ended up in the starting lineup due to injuries and underperformances elsewhere; he’s started 126 of his 156 games as a Clipper. I wouldn’t expect Dunn to start this year, but it’s not impossible, and he certainly should be expected to be a key part of the rotation. From a production perspective, a handful of points, secondary ballhandling, and excellent defense are what Dunn should be able to provide in the minutes he receives.

Strengths

In just two seasons, Kris has rightfully earned recognition as one of the best perimeter defenders to ever don a Clippers jersey. He’s fantastic at the point of attack against both guards and wings, and is a terrific help defender that forces a ton of turnovers and deflections. His defense slipped last year from 2025, when for my money he was maybe the most impactful per-minute perimeter defender in the NBA, but he was still really good last season. Kris will probably slow down as he heads into his mid-30s, but I think it’s fair to assume he should remain a significant plus on defense this season.

By modern NBA standards, Kris has been quite durable as a Clipper, logging 74 games played in 2025 and appearing in all 82 contests last season – a rarity in today’s league. Kris doesn’t log huge minutes, but he’s mostly been available when the Clippers have needed him, and that availability has been part of the reason he’s started so consistently.

Kris is also a locker room leader and positive behind the scenes by all accounts. He seems to be beloved by teammates, coaches, and everyone in the organization, and that has real value. Even though the Clippers are shifting younger, they will need veterans to maintain order, and that seems like something Kris can offer.

While not a good offensive player, Kris at least has the ballhandling capabilities to help get the offense into sets to relieve the primary ballhandler, and is capable of making quick reads in the halfcourt. For his career he has an assist to turnover ratio of well over 2:1, so despite some ugly turnovers when put under pressure, he’s relatively surehanded. That little bit of extra ballhandling has been useful for the Clippers in the past, and it should still be of value this season when Dunn is paired with Darius Garland or Keaton Wagler.

Weaknesses

While Kris’ three-point shooting numbers look decent (37.6% last year), he’s a well below-average shooter considering volume (2.6 attempts per game) and defensive intensity (always left wide open). Even though he makes threes, defenders consistently sag off Kris, and that really damages offensive spacing when he’s on the court. Dunn’s ability to handle and pass has made him viable as a screen setter in the pick and roll and then as a playmaker in the short roll, but it’s just not a great use of an off-guard. Ultimately, the gumming of spacing that happens with Kris on the court has made it tough to play him big minutes against the best NBA teams, even with his defensive excellence and other positives.

Kris is unfortunately also not much of a threat to score inside the arc, as he’s a below-the-rim attacker that can’t score over defenders and does not have a midrange bag outside of a useful floater. Kris did get to the line a lot more last season than before, showing a greater deal of aggression in attacking closeouts and going to the rim, but he’s just not an effective scorer almost anywhere on the court at the NBA level. Despite his ballhandling and playmaking, that deficiency as a scorer makes him a negative offensive player in almost every context.

Summary

Kris is a personal favorite of mine, largely due to his defensive prowess, intensity, and consistent availability. That said, he’s heading into the back part of his career and is a veteran who could help contending teams, so considering he’s only a very reasonable, expiring deal, I think he’s one of the most likely trade candidates on the roster. The Clippers might well want to keep Dunn as a veteran presence and as a cheap, consistent role player moving forward, but there’s a good chance he gets moved this season. If he does, I will remember him fondly and root for him at his next destination.

2027 Clippers Player Preview: Kris Dunn
Robert Flom

My preview of the 2027 NBA season continues with the stacked Northwest Division, home to perennial MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Additions: Aday Mara (12^th pick in the 2026 Draft), Bennett Stirtz (17^th pick in the 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Branden Carlson

Other: Re-signed Isaiah Hartenstein, Re-signed Kenrich Williams

Outlook: It’s hard to say that the Thunder had a disappointing season last year, as they won 64 games and made it to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals… but considering they were massive favorites to win the championship, not even making the NBA Finals has to count as a bit of a disappointment. It was even more difficult for the Thunder, as their increasing salaries made it likely they would have to shed money this offseason. That’s exactly what the Thunder did, more or less dumping three rotation players (including a starter in Lu Dort) for nothing to get them under the second apron and enable them to have room to bring back starting center Isaiah Hartenstein. The Thunder should still be excellent, as they have the two-time MVP in SGA, All-Star caliber players in Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, and competent role players with Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Jaylin Williams. But the Thunder are certainly less deep, and are now actually reliant on inexperienced youngsters like Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber, and the two rookies Mara and Stirtz to fill in playable minutes. If those guys step up, the Thunder could be more dangerous than ever.

Prediction: 59-23 (Last year predicted 63-19, actually 64-18)

Denver Nuggets

Additions: Marvin Bagley III, Trevon Brazile (35th pick in 2026 Draft), Alpha Diallo

Subtractions: Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, Bruce Brown, Jalen Pickett

Other: Re-signed Spencer Jones, Re-signed Tyus Jones

Outlook: Denver had a much-reviled offseason, letting most of their bench walk in free agency due to being over the second apron of the cap. The losses of Watson and Hardaway were particularly brutal, as Watson’s perimeter defense and athleticism and Hardaway’s shooting have not really been replaced on the roster. Bagley should be a fine backup big man to fill in for Valanciunas, and Bruce Brown was pretty bad last year, but the Nuggets are still worse than they were last season. It’s hard to imagine them falling too far with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon still being roughly in their primes, but any injuries will be harder to recover from. The Nuggets should still win in the upper 40s at the least and be a solid playoff team; their days as an actual contender, however, might be over.

Prediction: 50-32 (Last year predicted 54-28, actually 54-28)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Additions: LaMelo Ball, Jonathan Kuminga, Trey Lyles, Cody Williams, Isaiah Evans (33rd pick in 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, Joe Ingles, Julian Phillips

Other: Re-signed Ayo Dosunmu, Re-signed Bones Hyland

Outlook: The Wolves have strung together three successful seasons in a row, by far the best three-season stretch in franchise history. However, last season’s defeat in the second-round to a less-than-100% Spurs team seems to have persuaded the Wolves brass that the team was not in position to actually win the title. Thus, a remarkable overhaul, with the team completely shifting its style by shipping out two of its big men for a dynamic point guard in LaMelo Ball. Ball is extraordinarily talented, and should make Anthony Edwards’ life easier on offense. They are probably going to be the highest octane backcourt in the NBA. However, the Wolves’ size, once such a strength, is gone, and if Rudy Gobert (who is 34) has injuries or slips at all, their rebounding and defense might not be viable. I don’t mind the swing on Kuminga, despite his lack of positive impact in the NBA so far, but there’s no question the Wolves are shallower than last season, especially with Donte DiVincenzo still out with a torn Achilles. If Edwards, Ball, and Gobert are mostly healthy the Wolves still seem like a playoff lock, but I worry about their defense and Ball’s ability to hold up.

Prediction: 46-36 (Last year predicted 48-34, actually 49-33)

Utah Jazz

Additions: Darryn Peterson (2^nd pick in 2026 NBA Draft), Josh Okogie, Josh Green, Jaxson Hayes, Mo Bamba

Subtractions: Walker Kessler, Cody Williams, John Konchar, Kevin Love, Elijah Harkless

Other: Re-signed Jusuf Nurkic

Outlook: After several seasons of tanking the Jazz seem like they’ll finally try to win games in 2027. They traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline last year, but he barely played before being ruled out with an injury. Combine JJJ with dynamic scorer Lauri Markkanen, young guard Keyonte George, and number two pick Darryn Peterson and you have a ton of talent, especially on offense. If the Jazz’s center rotation was better I’d probably have them as a legitimately good team, but having Jusuf Nurkic, Jaxson Hayes, and Mo Bamba as your centers in today’s day and age is just a tough look. A lot rides on Peterson – if he’s the player he looked like in high school two years ago, he could help the Jazz rocket up the standings. There are also other young players on the roster whose improvement could keep the Jazz moving into more of a true playoff team, like second-year Ace Bailey, reserve big Kyle Filipowski, and bench scorer Brice Sensabaugh. There’s talent, but it’s young and offensively-focused, so I think the Jazz are one year away from truly breaking through.

Prediction: 37-45 (Last year predicted 18-64, actually 22-60)

Portland Trailblazers

Additions: Ja Morant, Jeremy Sochan, Micah Potter, Branden Carlson

Subtractions: Jerami Grant, Kris Murray, Matisse Thybulle, Caleb Love

Other: Re-signed Robert Williams, Hired Micah Nori as head coach

Outlook: The Blazers were one of the most middling teams in the NBA last season, and I don’t see that changing much this year. The only major move the Blazers made in the offseason was acquiring Ja Morant, which is a pure talent play that I don’t love considering Ja’s on-court and off-court issues as well as his questionable fit in Portland. If Ja returns to his 2022-2023 level of play he will be a major talent upgrade, but the sheer lack of shooting in Portland plus his and Dame’s awful defense limits Portland’s ceiling. On the other hand, if Ja combusts, it could sink the whole enterprise. Split the difference and you have a fine season with a deal of variance. The Blazers are also a major trade candidate, including veterans like Jrue Holiday (for a contender) and youngsters like Scoot Henderson (change of scenery).

Prediction: 35-47 (Last year predicted 38-44, actually 42-40)

2027 NBA Preview: The Northwest Division
Robert Flom

Over a week and a half of silence from the Clippers organization was broken Sunday night, when owner Steve Ballmer released a statement that he and the team have accepted the NBA’s punishment for salary cap circumvention and will not be moving forward with legal action. In the statement (on his and the Clippers’ Twitter page in full), Ballmer acknowledged the Clippers had been in the wrong (without going into any specifics), reiterated that the NBA investigation got some things wrong, and apologized to the fans and other stakeholders for poor decisions.

Not even a full day later, on Monday afternoon, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the Clippers were proceeding with the Kawhi Leonard trade to the Raptors now that they’d accepted the punishment and had set their house in order. The terms of the trade are unchanged, with the Clippers received Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first round picks, a first round pick swap, and two second rounders.

These are all good developments, in my opinion. The Clippers threatening legal actions against the NBA in response to the punishment seemed shortsighted and emotional at best, with almost no chance of anything positive coming from it for the Clippers and the possibility of enraging the NBA even further. Sueing the NBA was not going to work, and I’m glad that the Clippers/Ballmer came to their senses and stepped back. At this point, the evidence laid out in the Wachtell report seemed impossible to satisfactorily answer, and the Clippers just taking the punishment and moving on appeared to be the smartest course of action.

One of the biggest pluses with accepting the punishment is that the Clippers could proceed with the Kawhi deal. For as awful as Kawhi’s tenure now looks, the trade return for him remains incredibly strong. I don’t like watching Brandon Ingram play basketball, but he can help keep the team competent the next year or two. Gradey Dick is an interesting flier (though the team just has way too many 2s and 3s right now). But most importantly, getting those picks back to at least somewhat offset the punishment for cap circumvention is more important than ever. The Clippers are not in a position to trade those picks for players now, but they could be in a couple of years, and having those assets to trade (or just use as picks) will be hugely important.

This should hopefully conclude Kawhi Leonard’s tenure with the Clippers. The Clippers will still be eating the NBA’s punishment for the next seven years, and the sting of being caught cheating will haunt them as well. But the team can finally move on and focus on their young players that are the future of the team, especially Keaton Wagler. I, for one, am interested to see how this post-Kawhi era develops for the Clippers. It would be hard to be more disappointing than the Kawhi era, at the very least.

Clippers and Ballmer Accept NBA Punishment, Proceed with Kawhi Leonard Trade
Robert Flom

Our player preview series for the Clippers’ 2027 season starts with their third-string point guard, Jalen Pickett.

Basic Information

Height: 6’2

Weight: 202 pounds

Position: Point Guard

Age: 26 (turns 27 in a month)

Years in NBA: 3

Regular Season Stats: 5.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.7 turnovers in 16.1 minutes per game across 50 games played (18 starts) on 42.2/38.6/78.9 shooting splits (2.5 3PA, 0.4 FTA) with 54.1% TS

Contract Status: Signed a two-way contract in August

Expectations

As Pickett was signed to a two-way deal towards the end of the usual NBA offseason transaction cycle, there are not huge expectations on him this year. However, Pickett is both older (almost 27) and has more experience (three years in the NBA) than most two-way players, and is at a position (point guard) where the Clippers don’t have a lot of depth. Thus, it’s quite reasonable to expect that Pickett, as the third point guard, will get rotation minutes this season – Darius Garland has historically not been the most available player, and Keaton Wagler is a rookie that the Clippers will be very closely monitoring. A fair expectation for Pickett will be that he is a competent backup point guard when called upon that can play up to 20 minutes in a pinch without hurting the team much on either end.

Strengths

Pickett’s biggest strength is his surehandedness as a ballhandler. He has an assist to turnover ratio of nearly 4:1, which is fantastic for a backup guard. Positive ratios at that level can sometimes be associated with an aversion to risk (which can be a bad thing), but there’s almost nothing more harmful than having ballhandlers that cough up turnovers all the time, so Pickett’s ability to get offenses into sets and limit giveaways is huge, especially for a Clippers team that has struggled with turnovers for years.

It’s on a small sample size (more on that in a bit), but Pickett has been a pretty good three-point shooter in the NBA, making 38.7% of his shots from deep. The volume is not there (253 total attempts across three years), but Pickett was a good shooter in college and there’s no reason to think he wouldn’t be a capable three-point shooter on more attempts. Pickett’s shooting enables him to play off-ball, which means that he could pair with Keaton Wagler in the backcourt (on offense) to add some additional ballhandling and playmaking if the Clippers decide they want to relieve the burden on Wagler a bit. Of course, the preferential partner for that particular need would be Garland, but if some of the Clippers’ backup wing options are injured or don’t pan out, Pickett should be able to fit alongside Wagler on offense.

Weaknesses

For someone who has been in the NBA for three years and started 22 games, Pickett has not actually played that much. He has logged just 1595 regular season minutes, and a lot of those have been in garbage time. Therefore, Pickett isn’t as experienced as one might think, and even in a backup role there isn’t a huge track of Pickett being successful. It’s not that he’s been bad, it’s just that he could be less dependable if called upon on a regular basis.

On the court, Pickett’s size makes him a target on defense. He’s not awful on that end of the floor, but like any other sub 6’3 guard he can get bullied by larger players. Pickett does fight on defense, and has a bit more heft than other players of his height, but playing him together with either Garland or Wagler would probably result in really poor defensive units.

On offense, Pickett is not a huge threat to score the basketball, especially from two-point range. Well over half of Pickett’s shot attempts in the NBA have come from deep, and he’s taken just 31 free throw attempts across his career. That means he rarely ever gets downhill as a scoring threat, which also limits his playmaking capabilities. Don’t expect huge scoring games from Pickett if he is called upon – the Clippers would need to get scoring juice from elsewhere on the bench if he is in the rotation.

Summary

Pickett was a quietly good signing for the Clippers in a very turbulent summer. I don’t think he will have a major role with the Clippers this year barring injury (knock on wood), but he is slightly overqualified to be the third point guard on what looks to be a middling team. I imagine there’s at least a few games this year where Pickett fills in well in the rotation and helps the team win, and that’s all you can ask for from a down-the-bench two-way player.

2027 Player Preview: Jalen Pickett
Robert Flom

The final Eastern Conference division covered in my preview of the 2027 NBA season is also probably the strongest division in the entire NBA, featuring four championship contenders and the woeful Brooklyn Nets.

New York Knicks

Additions: Andre Drummond

Subtractions: Mitchell Robinson, Ariel Hukporti, Jeremy Sochan

Other: Re-signed Landry Shamet, Re-signed Jose Alvarado, Re-signed Jordan Clarkson, Re-signed Mohamed Diawara

Outlook: The Knicks had one of the greatest playoff runs in recent NBA history last year, dropping just three games in the postseason on their way to an NBA championship. Unsurprisingly, the Knicks are mostly running their championship squad back this year, with the only losses being to their center rotation. Losing Robinson is definitely a blow, but he wasn’t even that effective in the postseason, and Andre Drummond is at least a fine regular season stopgap. The Knicks have a team composed of players nearly entirely in their prime, and were able to re-sign almost all of their key bench pieces to cheap long-term deals. They weren’t a regular season juggernaut last year and probably won’t be this season, but the Knicks are primed and loaded for bear to repeat as champions in the 2027 season.

Prediction: 54-28 (Last year 53-29, predicted 53-29)

Philadelphia 76ers

Additions: Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon (20th pick in 2026 Draft), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ariel Hukporti

Subtractions: Paul George, Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre, Andre Drummond, Trendon Watford, Johni Broome, Dalen Terry

Other: Replaced Daryl Morey as GM with Mike Gansey

Outlook: The Sixers added a little player this offseason by the name of LeBron James. You may have heard of him. LeBron is very, very old by NBA standards, but he’s still a highly effective player, and more importantly, his playmaking and rebounding are exactly what this Sixers team needed. The Sixers paid a lot to get Jaylen Brown, and it will be interesting to see how he settles into more of a secondary role after being the head of the Celtics’ snake last year, but he’s an undeniable talent upgrade over the departed Paul George. The Sixers’ starting unit of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, LeBron, and Joel Embiid has a strong case for the most talented in the entire NBA, while Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are solid veterans to bolster the Sixers’ bench. The main reason to be skeptical of the Sixers is Embiid’s health – as good as the rest of the roster now is, Philly will need the big fella to make a championship run, and at this point it’s jut hard to imagine Embiid staying healthy for most of a regular season much less a grueling postseason. Still, the Sixers should be very good and will be must-watch television.

Prediction: 51-31 (Last year 45-37, predicted 42-40)

Boston Celtics

Additions: Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, Chris Cenac Jr. (27th pick in 2026 Draft), Mike Conley

Subtractions: Jaylen Brown, Nikola Vucevic, Dalano Banton, Charles Bassey

Other: Re-signed Ron Harper Jr.

Outlook: The Celtics were one of the teams I (and most NBA pundits) was most off on last year. The Celtics shocked the league by winning 56 wins despite missing their best player, Jayson Tatum, for most of the season. Well, Tatum should be back healthy, but his long-time running mate Jaylen Brown is gone in a controversial trade, and the much older Paul George is in. George is a downgrade from Brown, but if Tatum is healthy and back to his 2021-2024 levels, the Celtics should still have more starpower than they did last season. Mitchell Robinson will help shore up the center position despite his injury and free-throw shooting issues, while Chris Cenac Jr. should add a pop of athleticism in a deep bench role. Overall, the East’s improvements and the lingering effects of Brown’s departure have me feeling the Celtics will take a step back this year, but underestimate the regular season winning of coach Joe Mazzulla at your peril.

Prediction: 48-34 (Last year 56-26, predicted 38-44)

Toronto Raptors

Additions: Kawhi Leonard (probably), Kyle Anderson, Allen Graves (19^th pick in 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Brandon Ingram, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Gradey Dick, Garrett Temple

Other:

Outlook: It might seem odd to people that I’m only projecting the Raptors to win one more game than they did last year considering that they are (most likely) getting a superstar in Kawhi Leonard in exchange for Brandon Ingram (meh) and Gradey Dick (back of rotation player). The answer is simple: the Raptors were incredibly healthy last year, with 6 of their top 9 rotation players logging at least 70 games played. The Raptors probably won’t be as healthy this year as last year, and that combined with Kawhi’s own long-standing injury issues make them a less likely bet to win 50 games, even if they’re a far, far more dangerous postseason team with Kawhi. However, if Scottie Barnes and second-year Collin Murray-Boyles make further jumps, it’s possible the Raptors’ defense will be good enough to make it to the top-tier of the East in the regular season. I think the Raptors will be quite good, and if healthy, nobody will want to see them in the playoffs.

Prediction: 47-35 (Last year 46-36, predicted 35-47)

Brooklyn Nets

Additions: Mikel Brown Jr. (6^th pick in 2026 Draft), Julius Randle, Mo Wagner, Keon Ellis, Joshua Jefferson (28^th pick in 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Nic Claxton, Ziaire Smith, Jalen Wilson, Ochai Agbaji, Tyrese Martin

Other: Re-signed Day’ron Sharpe, Re-signed Josh Minott

Outlook: I think the Nets are one of the easiest teams to predict this season – they are going to be very bad. Yes, they won’t tank because they don’t control their pick. And yes, they did have an influx of talent this offseason, including adding a floor raiser in Julius Randle. But the entire NBA, especially the East, has also gotten better, and tanking disincentives will mean even the bottom feeders are trying harder. Even with Randle, Wagner, and Ellis, plus holdover vets like Michael Porter Jr. and Terance Mann, the Nets remain really young, with most of their roster being first, second, or third-year players. Those types of teams are normally bad, especially since none of the youngsters are blue chip prospects (I like Mikel Brown Jr., but very, very few NBA guards impact winning their rookie season). The Nets might be more competent than last year, but I don’t know how much that will translate to winning.

Prediction: 25-57 (Last year 20-62, predicted 21-61)

2027 NBA Preview: The Atlantic Division
Robert Flom