The 2026 NBA Draft is over, and free agency is less than a week away! Therefore, it’s time to do a quick primer on what to expect from the Clippers during the offseason.

Let’s first map out the Clippers’ roster heading into free agency, not counting their recent draftees. The Clippers have only six players with fully guaranteed contracts next season: Kawhi Leonard, Darius Garland, Derrick Jones Jr., Isaiah Jackson, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and Jordan Miller.

The Clippers have two players with partially guaranteed contracts that are likely to stick around unless they’re involved in trades, in Kris Dunn and Cam Christie. Dunn is of plus value on his deal and is beloved in the locker room, while Christie has not played much but is still very young and fine as a back-end depth piece.

There are two more players likely to be back in Kobe Sanders (team option – a lock to be picked up), and Bradley Beal (player option – would seem he picks it up unless he somehow gets a better offer elsewhere).

The Clippers have three other team options on Brook Lopez, Nicolas Batum, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, with John Collins as an unrestricted free agent and Bennedict Mathurin as a restricted free agent.

Finally, for the two-ways, only Sean Pedulla is under contract for next year.

Now let’s add in the Clippers’ 2026 NBA Draft. Keaton Wagler will be under a standard first-round rookie scale deal. Baba Miller, as an early 2^nd round pick that was widely expected to be taken in that range, will probably secure a true NBA roster deal. Nick Martinelli, a late 2^nd, will probably be on a two-way. Finally, Narcisse N’Goy will be stashed at Auburn.

That leaves the Clippers with likely 12 full roster players and two two-ways, giving them three open roster spots and one two-way. Here’s a rough breakdown of the positional situation.

PG: Darius Garland – Keaton Wagler – Sean Pedulla

SG: Kris Dunn – Kobe Sanders – Bradley Beal – Cam Christie

SF: Derrick Jones Jr. – Jordan Miller – Nick Martinelli

PF: Kawhi Leonard – Baba Miller

C: Yanic Konan Niederhauser – Isaiah Jackson

Considering Wagler will play a lot of shooting guard next to Garland, and Sanders, Christie, and Miller can play up or down, the Clippers are relatively set at wing, even if they probably would prefer to bring Dunn off the bench. Garland and Wagler together also make the Clippers ready to go at point guard, though they could probably use a third-string veteran in case of injury.

The obvious areas of need are in the frontcourt, especially considering Yanic’s injury and Baba Miller probably not being ready for NBA rotation minutes. Bringing back John Collins and Brook Lopez would pretty much round out the roster, but that would mean running back the same team from last year, more or less, with only the draft picks being new pieces of note. I can’t see the Clippers going in that direction based on how they’ve talked about their roster and pivoting towards more of a Garland-centric timeline.

The big question mark, of course, is Kawhi Leonard. Trade rumors have been rumbling around him for weeks, and have picked up some steam in recent days. If the Clippers do trade him, my guess would be it would be for a starting level wing to replace his production to some extent, as well as a frontcourt player. Regardless, a Kawhi trade would completely shake up the roster, and it’s hard to imagine anyone but Garland and Wagler being “safe” this summer if Kawhi is moved.

Ultimately, I think the Clippers will be active in the coming weeks. Collins and Mathurin are two of the more highly-regarded free agents on the market, and whether they come back or not will have major ramifications to the roster. There are also all the team and player options that need to be picked up, and each of those will have shifting effects.

Thus, it’s hard to truly predict what the Clippers will be up to, but I think a Kawhi trade is possible, and even if he isn’t traded, I think they will probably make a couple other trades as well as maybe one somewhat major free agent signing in the frontcourt.

Quick Clippers 2026 Offseason Primer
Robert Flom

In the first round of the NBA Draft, the Clippers selected guard Keaton Wagler, the player who had been most widely mocked to them since the draft lottery.

Tonight, the Clippers have picks 36 and 52 in the second round. I have not paid much attention to the second round due to the focus on pick 5 and the top of the lottery, and it’s tough to mock anyone that deep in the draft considering how many players go before them.

Here are a few names that I like that are currently available (I’d guess several of them go before the Clippers pick at 36): Henri Veesaar (big man, UNC), Baba Miller (forward, Cincinnati), Isaiah Evans (guard, Duke), Meleek Thomas (guard, Alabama), Richie Saunders (wing, BYU), Emanuel Sharp (guard, Houston), Bruce Thornton (guard, Ohio State).

We will keep an eye out for any trades or movement as the draft approaches.

2026 NBA Draft: Second Round Thread
Robert Flom

After doing a few in-depth reviews of the most likely prospects the Clippers could select at 5, here are some quick hitters on more outside shots at that spot or more likely candidates if the Clippers trade down.

Brayden Burries

Burries is the last of the guards commonly projected to go in the lottery, and the one I’m not doing a full write-up on because it seems very unlikely he’d be picked at 5. However, Burries, measuring at 6’3.75 and 215 pounds with a 6’6 wingspan, is actually probably the cleanest fit of the guards next to Garland. He’s a bit small to be a true off-guard, but he’s by far the heaviest of the lottery guards and the one that projects the best defensively in the NBA. The upside on offense doesn’t quite seem to be there, which is why he’s not mocked as high on boards, but he can do a bit of everything, and seems like a safe bet to be a valuable two-way contributor in the NBA. If the Clippers trade down to the 8-11 range, he’s a logical fit.

Aday Mara

Mara is the largest player in this draft, standing at 7’3 without shoes and boasting an insane 9’9 standing reach with a 7’6 wingspan and weighing at 259.8 pounds. After two disappointing seasons at UCLA, Mara transferred to Michigan, where he played a key role in the Wolverine’s run to the NCAA championship as a dominant paint presence on both ends. Mara moves fairly well for his size, has good defensive instincts, and uses his size to finish around the rim, but his real upside skill is his passing acumen, which is quite advanced for a big man. Mara’s conditioning is somewhat in question (he played just 23.4 minutes per game in college), and his scoring game against NBA-sized centers might be limited, but he feels like one of the highest floors in the draft – it’s hard to imagine he isn’t at least a starting-level center. I wouldn’t take him at 5, or probably even top 10, but in the late lottery he’s a good get.

Yaxel Lendeborg

Yaxel is one of the most interesting prospects in the draft, and will have one of the most fascinating journeys of any NBA player (likely) taken in the lottery in the modern era. A 23-year-old who started at JUCO, then went to UAB, and finally ended up at Michigan in his fifth season in college, Yaxel is a truly modern, pro-ready forward. Standing at 6’8.75 with an immense 7’3.25 wingspan and weighing at a rock solid 241.4 pounds, Yaxel is ready to step in right away at the NBA level and contribute. He can shoot (37.2% from three on 4.5 attempts), defend (1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks), playmake (3.2 assists to 1.1 turnovers), and score (15.1 points on great efficiency). The main downsides with Yaxel are his age and potential questions on his work ethic/personality, but to me he’s well worth the swing after about 8 in the draft.

Nate Ament

Ament is one of the most divisive players in this draft class. He was the 4^th ranked player in his college class, as he’s a huge (6’9.5 tall, 6’11 wingspan) wing that can handle and has at least some playmaking capabilities. Those sorts of players are in high demand in the NBA, as they can fill gaps as role players if the scoring talent is not star-level, but also boast superstar-level upside. The downside with Ament is simple: he was immensely inefficient as a scorer at Tennessee, shooting just 39.9% from the field and 33.3% from the field. He got to the line a bunch, but he struggled to score at almost all levels, with particularly worrying numbers as a finisher considering his size. Guys at his size and skill level usually stick around in the NBA, but if he can’t score efficiently and doesn’t become a plus defender, he just won’t be much more than a rotation wing. He would be a huge reach at 5 to me, but I understand the upside swing.

Morez Johnson

Morez is an old-school power forward from Michigan that comes in at 6’9, 250.6 with a massive 7’3.5 wingspan. A bruising, physical player, Morez is attractive to NBA teams because he’s a surprisingly nimble defender that should be capable of switching multiple positions at the NBA level while still providing force on the interior. His stats (13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 blocks) don’t appear all that impressive, but he was playing next to Lendeborg and Mara, and could have put up more stats on a worse team. There are some questions about how much he can do on offense at the NBA level outside of transition, offensive rebounding, and dunker’s spot duties, but the defense is legit, the intel is great, and he’s just 20.5 years old. I wouldn’t take him top 10, but from 12 onwards I think he’d be a very solid pick for the Clippers.

2026 NBA Draft: Prospect Round Up
Robert Flom

We are just under one week from the 2026 NBA Draft, which means it is time for another mock draft round up to see who the experts have the Clippers taking at 5.

ESPN: Keaton Wagler (Formerly Wagler)

“Rival teams believe Wagler is among the top options for the Clippers if they make this pick. Last week, he opted to cancel multiple workouts inside the top 10, a sign he feels comfortable with his standing. His versatility and fast-rising trajectory have given him broad appeal with every team in the 5-10 range, and he isn’t expected to be on the board long if he falls past No. 5.

The Clippers are said to be looking for a player who can immediately complement the smaller Darius Garland, the key return for James Harden at the trade deadline. Mikel Brown Jr. and Brayden Burries are two prospects who fit that mold, with Brown scheduled to work out in LA later this week. Of that trio, Wagler best marries long-term upside with immediate rotation value, thanks to his size, shooting and feel as a ball-moving offensive conduit at both backcourt spots.”

The Athletic: Keaton Wagler (Formerly Wagler)

Hasn’t been updated since last roundup

SB Nation: Mikel Brown Jr. (Formerly Wagler)

“The top-4 feels like the top-4 in this draft. Ask 20 people who they think is the fifth best prospect in the class and you might get 10 different answers. That means the Clippers have the biggest decision in this class after earning the pick from the Indiana Pacers in the Ivica Zubac trade. I could see the Clippers going with Keaton Wagler or Kingston Flemings or even Yaxel Lendeborg or Aday Mara. In this mock, I’m giving them my pick for the fifth-best player in the class, Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. Brown’s shot selection can get wild at times, and it’s scary that he was already hampered by a back injury at age-20, but his intersection of pull-up shooting, three-point volume, passing creativity, and rim pressure sets him apart from the other guards in the class in my mind.”

Yahoo Sports: Mikel Brown Jr. (Formerly Mikel)

“Mikel Brown Jr. offers the highest ceiling of any non-Peterson guard prospect and all signs are that he has aced the pre-draft process. It should come as no surprise that Brown has thrived in workout settings; his size, athleticism, creativity and shot-making are all traits modern NBA front offices covet. Brown plays with a freedom few guards can match. He can touch every corner of the floor as a passer, with the pull-up shooting gravity and herky-jerky handles to break an opposing defense.

Brown’s length and anticipatory defense – with the potential to keep filling out his frame – makes him the easiest guard to project next to Darius Garland in the backcourt. While Illinois’ Keaton Wagler is another strong candidate in this spot, his grave athletic limitations will be harder to mask next to Garland, who clearly factors into L.A.’s short- and long-term plans. With Brown putting his Louisville back injury in the rearview mirror, a home with the Clippers appears well within reach.”

Bleacher Report: Keaton Wagler (Formerly Wagler)

“The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to be involved in trade talks leading up to the draft, with rival teams thinking they could try to move.

Keaton Wagler is right now earning looks in the No. 5-9 range with his crafty creation, special shotmaking, high IQ and adaptable game.

After measuring 6’5″ barefoot, he should look like the best fit alongside Darius Garland in Los Angeles, with Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings and Mikel Brown Jr. lacking height for a 2-guard/secondary ball-handler.

Wagler will be considered interchangeable with his size and shooting, but he showed enough off-the-dribble navigation, passing, pull-ups and floaters at Illinois for the Kings to feel confident that they can give him initiator duties.”

The draft experts are split between Wagler and Brown, though there are still mentions of trade downs, which could muddy the waters. If we are getting more specific, the guys in this group I trust the most on draft intel are Sam Vecenie (Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), and Jeremy Woo (ESPN), and all of them have Wagler. At least one week before the draft, it seems as though the Clippers are deciding between those two guards – but there are probably still workouts and interviews between now and the draft, as well as trade discussions. But right now, if I had to bet on the Clippers making a pick at 5, it would be either Wagler or Brown.

2026 Clippers Mock Draft Round Up: One Week Out
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2026 Clippers concludes with superstar forward Kawhi Leonard, the longest tenured player on the team.

Basic Information

Height: 6’7

Weight: 225 pounds

Position: Small forward/Power forward

Age: 34 (35 in two weeks)

Years in NBA: 15

Key Regular Season Stats: 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 2.0 turnovers in 32.1 minutes per game across 65 games played (all starts) on 50.5/38.7/89.2 (6.8 3PA, 6.4 FTA) shooting splits (62.9 True Shooting)

Expectations

Coming off an injury-ridden 2025 season, Kawhi Leonard went into the summer of 2025 for his first healthy offseason in several years. While his 2025 campaign hadn’t been great on the whole, it had ended quite strongly, and there was hope that with a revamped supporting cast around him that Kawhi could lead the Clippers to homecourt in the 2026 season. After down statistics in 2025, the expectation for Kawhi personally was to put up stats similar to those in 2023 or 2024, with around 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game on great efficiency and solid defense. He’d made All-NBA Second Team and the All Star Team in 2024, and an optimal outcome for 2026 would have been something similar.

Reality

After an awful first game of the season against the Jazz, Kawhi was quite good in four of the next five games, of which the Clippers won three. It was a disappointing start of the season for the Clippers, but at 3-3, and with Kawhi looking good, there wasn’t a ton of concern.

Welp. Kawhi was ruled out for the next 10 games with a severely sprained ankle, during which the Clippers’ season went off the rails. The Clippers went 2-8 during that stretch, meaning they were 5-11 when he returned. Worse, outside of a monstrous three game stretch in very late November when Kawhi looked dominant (the Clippers incredibly still lost all three of those games), Kawhi was just “ok” by his standards the next few weeks, finally sliding to the dreaded 6-21 nadir of the season on December 18.

Then, as we all know, the Clippers’ season turned around. And while many, many factors went into that turnaround, the single most significant driver of the Clippers’ resurgence was the play of Kawhi. On December 20, he scored 32 points and collected 12 rebounds in a game where he dragged the Clippers to a win over the Lakers. Just a week later, Kawhi scored 55 points against the East-leading Pistons on 17-26 shooting, perhaps the best scoring performance of his entire career. He never quite reached that high again, but Kawhi remained on a roll for months (barring a few missed games in mid-January).

Kawhi was exceptional from mid-December through the end of March, combining high volume scoring with insane efficiency, good rebounding, and solid (if not close to peak Kawhi) defense. The Clippers kept climbing up the standings, and Kawhi entered conversations as lofty as down-ballot MVP votes and All NBA First team rankings.

Unfortunately, like basically everyone else on the Clippers, Kawhi’s close to the season was less robust. He was just “fine” against the Blazers in the Clippers’ two biggest games of the regular season, scoring 23 points on 15 shots in the first loss and 24 points on 20 shots in the second one. Kawhi’s inability to create separation against the Blazers’ cadre of wing defenders was notable. Then, in the play-in game against the Warriors, Kawhi looked old and out of sorts, with a particularly tough offensive possession against Draymond Green getting him roasted online. It was a tough close to what had been the best Kawhi season in a half-decade, though the All-NBA Second Team berth was still quite well deserved.

Future with Clippers

This is the biggest question facing the Clippers this summer outside of who they take with the 5^th pick in the draft. Kawhi has one year left on his contract at $50.3M, and is up for an extension this summer. He’s almost 35 years old, and the Clippers have completely reshaped their roster in the past two years to go younger and prepare for the future. The Clippers’ partnership with Kawhi has not always been smooth, and the Aspiration stuff this year (I won’t bother going more in depth on that situation than this) has thrown somewhat of a negative light on the whole era. Everything the Clippers have said is that they want to keep Kawhi going forward – but it’s probably not that simple.

The Clippers have three options. The first is to trade Kawhi, presumably for either a younger star/player more in line with Darius Garland’s age, for true prospects, or for draft picks. The second is to extend him, probably on a deal somewhat less than the max for another two to three years, which would keep him on the team until he is close to retirement. The third is to keep him on the team for the last year of his deal but not extend him. That opens the door for a trade before the deadline next season or just riding out the contract until it expires next summer, at which point another deal could be worked out or Kawhi could leave.

So far, the second option seems to be the most likely based on available reporting. The Clippers like to Kawhi, want to remain competitive, and would prefer having a superstar in hand to court free agents going forward. While Darius Garland is good, would he plus living in LA be enough to attract superstars to the Clippers next summer or two years from now? The Clippers have telegraphed wanting to bring in another superstar in the summer of 2027 for a while now, and that could involve keeping Kawhi.

If it was up to me, personally, I would probably try to trade Kawhi and shift the team in a new, younger direction. That said, it’s all up to what the trade packages are – Kawhi was good enough and available enough last year that I wouldn’t trade him just to trade him. But if the Clippers can get a real package centered around picks, a good prospect, or a good young player more in Garland’s timeline, I’d probably move forward.

If I had to guess, Kawhi will be on the Clippers next year, but that situation is cloudier than it has been for quite a while.

2026 Clippers Exit Interview: Kawhi Leonard
Robert Flom

Our preview series on likely prospects for the Clippers to take with the 5th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft continues with point guard Mikel Brown Jr.

Basic Information

Position: Point Guard

Height: 6’3.5”

Weight: 190.2 pounds

Wingspan: 6’7.5”

Age on draft day: 20.2

College: Louisville

Stats: 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 3.1 turnovers in 29.2 minutes per game across 21 games played (19 starts) on 41/34.4/84.4 shooting splits (7.6 3PA, 5.8 FTA) for 57.7 TS

Overview

Mikel Brown Jr. was a highly ranked high school prospect going into Louisville, and has been placed in the lottery of draft boards the entire season, mostly in the top 10. An athletic, skillful point guard with a beautiful shot, Brown seems like a prototypical lead guard in the modern NBA. The main reason that he isn’t the clear top point guard prospect in the class is that despite his tools and skills, his actual production in college did not match his counterparts – and that he missed much of the season with back issues, never a good sign for a teenager.

Strengths

The only point guard in the class with a better overall scoring bag than Mikel is Darius Acuff, and Brown’s ability to get threes up at a high volume and get to the line might actually make him a more NBA-type scoring guard. Brown can shoot from all levels of the court, he has the ability to get his own shot off against set defenses through a fairly good dribble package, and he’s an ambidextrous ball-handler and finisher, which is huge at the professional level. Even if some of the midrange game is a little unfinished, the combination of high-volume, deep three-point shooting plus burstiness on drives should make Brown a potent scoring threat in the NBA.

Brown is also a capable passer and playmaker. Like the other guards in this class, he’s not a brilliant, savant-level passer like a Chris Paul or James Harden, but he can find teammates in transition, out of the pick and roll, and on drive-and-kicks on a consistent basis. He’s not Harden or Luka Doncic’s size, but the 6’3.5 height should enable him to over the defense to a fairly reasonable extent and allow him to make advanced reads in a halfcourt setting.

Finally, Mikel came out looking pretty good at the NBA Draft Combine. In addition to the height (above), which is solid for a point guard, Mikel had a +4 wingspan and weighed a bit over 190 pounds, making him the second-heaviest of the top PG prospects. He also placed 3^rd overall (1^st in PGs) in lane agility drill, 11^th in standing vertical (1^st), and 11^th in max vertical (3^rd), with middling scores in shuttle run and three-quarter sprint. He is thus not a top-tier athlete, but still a very good one, and those measurements plus his size and length mean he should be able to compete on the defensive end in the NBA.

Weaknesses

It might not be a weakness per se, but the single most frightening element of taking Mikel Brown Jr. high in this draft is his back. I have not read or heard anything about his back being a long-term issue, but it’s simply tough to just look past any sort of serious back injury (I think missing half the college season qualifies) considering how gnarly and persistent back issues can be. If his medicals come back clear than this is a non-factor, but until that has been confirmed it will be something to worry about. And honestly, even if his draft medicals are good, his back would definitely be a matter of concern for me until we have a couple years of evidence in the NBA it’s not a problem.

The biggest on-court issues for Mikel Brown Jr. at this point are related to decision-making, especially on offense. He had by far the highest turnover rate of any of the lottery point guards, and did not make up for it with outrageous scoring or assist numbers. Some of that could be due to the injury and lack of playing time with his teammates, but there were also plenty of bad passer or drives into traffic that resulted in turnovers. Despite his excellent scoring bag and shooting touch, Brown’s actual shooting numbers don’t pop either (his efficiency was still buoyed by his awesome three-point and free-throw rates) because he forced a lot of tough shots. Again, this is a common issue for lead guards in college playing with non-professional teammates, but the overall ability to lead an offense and consistently make the right decisions is obviously critical for point guards and it’s something that Mikel has not proven he can do.

Defense was not a particular strength of Mikel’s in college despite his physical tools. His steal rate was fine, and he accumulated just three total blocks in his time in college – not a red flag, but not a great sign either. Like many young guards, there were botched rotations and inattentiveness off ball – things that hopefully can be improved upon in time. He has the upside to be a decent defender in the NBA, but will probably be a poor one early on his career.

Fit with Clippers

Of the guards we’ve looked at so far, Brown probably is up there for the best fit alongside Keaton Wagler. He’s a bit shorter than Wagler, but he has the same size wingspan and is actually a tad heavier, so his ability to play defense on off-guards or even small forwards is probably the same as Wagler’s if not better. Brown’s shooting ability also does make him a solid off-ball force alongside Darius Garland, even if off-ball play is not what you’d be hoping for from Brown long-term.

Brown has picked up momentum in the past week as the Clippers’ target at 5, and the buzz does make sense. Despite his lesser college production, his tools combined with his shooting gives him a theoretical upside that none of the other guards in this range can touch. You add that to his high school pedigree, his injury in college, and the weird situation at Louisville and you can easily make the case that he should be the best pick available at 5. I’m not sure if I’m there yet, but he is a highly intriguing player who also is a cleaner fit next to Garland than Acuff or Flemings. I think there’s a fairly good chance Brown is the pick on Draft Night, and if he is, I won’t be upset.

2026 NBA Draft Prospect Preview: Mikel Brown Jr.
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series for the 2026 Clippers nears its conclusion with a look at newly acquired star point guard Darius Garland.

Basic Information

Height: 6’1

Weight: 192 pounds

Position: Point Guard

Age: 26

Years in NBA: 7

Key Regular Season Stats (for Clippers): 19.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1,2 steals, and 3.0 turnovers in 29.1 minutes per game across 19 games played (17 starts) on 47.1/43.8/86 (7.6 3PA, 2.3 FTA) shooting splits (60.2 True Shooting)

Expectations

Garland’s acquisition for James Harden before the trade deadline was a shocking move that came completely out of the blue. Once the dust had settled, expectations for Garland this season were relatively limited – he’d been out for a while with a toe injury, was expected to miss a lot more time due to said injury, and would have to adjust to a new team after having spent his whole career in Cleveland. Once he was activated, fans expected Garland to seize the role as the Clippers’ lead ballhandler, playmaker, and three-point shooter while serving as the second banana to Kawhi Leonard.

Reality

I think Garland met expectations, and maybe even played a bit above them. He sat out his first 10 games on the Clippers due to the aforementioned injury, returning on March 2 against the Warriors. Garland came off the bench his first two games and logged less than 25 minutes, looking very rusty against the Warriors but then quite effective against the Pacers. After that, Garland sat on the first night of a back-to-back (he didn’t play in any full B2Bs as a Clipper) before being moved to the starting unit on March 7 against the Grizzlies. Garland started the next three games, all of them wins, and played quite well in each of them to help push the Clippers’ momentum forward.

Garland’s first true rough outing as a Clipper came in his seventh game on the team, in a tough loss to the Spurs. Garland scored 25 points on 9-20 shooting (not bad) but coughed up the ball an incredible 8 times (to 10 assists) and was roasted on defense by the Spurs’ guards. Garland made up for the Spurs game two games later against the Mavs, when he went off for 41 points on 15-24 shooting with 11 assists, carrying the Clippers to an overtime win. It was an incredible shotmaking and playmaking performance from Garland, who looked unstoppable all night.

Unfortunately, the season did not end on such a high note. Garland had other good games down the stretch, but was dismal again against the Spurs on April 2 (11 points on 5-17 shooting), and more importantly was not impressive in the Clippers’ two biggest games of the year, both against the Portland Trailblazers and both losses. In the first (March 31), Garland scored 20 points on 7-17 shooting and had 5 turnovers to 4 assists, while in the second (April 10), he scored 16 points on 5-16 shooting with 7 assists to 3 turnovers. In both games, he was also targeted repeatedly on defense. In the Clippers’ play-in loss to the Warriors, Garland was fine (21 points on 8-15 shooting, 8 assists to 2 turnovers), but was resoundingly outplayed by Steph Curry and was bad on defense.

Ultimately, I’m willing to look past Garland’s bad or middling performances in the most important games or those against elite competition. It was a small sample size, the team was dealing with other injuries, and Garland was still getting his feet wet after missing a long period of time while adjusting to a new team. In his best games, you could see why the Cavaliers viewed Garland as a franchise cornerstone for so long – his combination of shooting, creation, and passing is truly advanced and deadly. On the other hand, his defense, turnovers, and rebounding all leave a lot to be desired. Hopefully with a full, healthy offseason and training camp under his belt, we see more of the All-Star level Garland next season.

Future with Clippers

Garland is under contract for two more seasons at $42.1 and $44.9M, making him the only player on the team with a sizable contract that lasts past next summer. The Clippers have made every indication publicly and in private comments to reporters that they view Garland as a long-term building block. At 26 years old, Garland is firmly in his prime, and while small, speedy guards don’t usually age great, Garland’s combination of handle, shooting, and passing should keep him as a very good player for a long time. If I had to guess, he will be a Clipper for a while.

However, that’s not a certainty. As soon as next summer there will be pressure on the Clippers to extend Garland, as he will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2028. If the Clippers and Garland can’t agree to an extension, it’s possible both sides will move on via trade. There is also the possibility that the Clippers continue to slide down in the standings next year and Garland decides he’d rather play for a contender than a mediocrity, even with the wealth of Steve Ballmer and the allure of Los Angeles.

Garland has a lot to prove this upcoming season after a relatively disappointing 2026. If he plays really well and helps keep the Clippers in the postseason picture, he could be in line for a max or near-max extension that locks him up for the rest of his prime and into his early 30s. If Garland does not regain the form he showed in Cleveland for several years, the Clippers might be ready to move on and cast him aside as a franchise player. But regardless, I’d be quite surprised if he wasn’t on the team at least next year.

2026 Clippers Exit Interview: Darius Garland
Robert Flom

We are just two weeks out from the 2026 NBA Draft, which means it’s time for another roundup of mock drafts to see who the experts have the Clippers taking at 5.

ESPN: Keaton Wagler

“The most popular names here have been Wagler and Darius Acuff Jr., with the presence of smaller starting point guard Darius Garland making Wagler the cleaner fit. While Wagler’s high-end outcomes are as a lead playmaker, playing alongside a veteran ball handler to begin his career would be beneficial and relieve some of the immediate pressure.

NBA teams got official measurements on Wagler for the first time at the combine, and he unsurprisingly has excellent size for a ball handler at 6-5 barefoot. He is not overly long, measuring with a plus-1¼ wingspan, and tested in the middle of the pack athletically. Any concerns about his explosiveness aren’t expected to heavily impact his draft stock, with his range seemingly a narrow band of teams outside the top four, also including the Nets, Kings and Hawks.”

The Athletic: Keaton Wagler (Formerly Wagler)

“It’ll be fascinating to see what the Clippers do at No. 5. Sources have indicated that the team is digging into all the top guard prospects as well as exploring potential trade-down scenarios that could result in them accumulating more assets. I’ve also heard Aday Mara’s name associated with the Clippers, although it’s difficult to tell if that would be at No. 5 or in a potential trade down.

Wagler is clearly the best fit of the guards, though, if LA stays at No. 5. He can play both on and off ball and has enough positional size to play next to Darius Garland, whom the team acquired for James Harden at the deadline. Garland played well down the stretch for the Clippers and should be seen as a building block, and I’m skeptical that the Clippers would have enough size defensively by taking Darius Acuff Jr. or Kingston Flemings to play with him. Sources have indicated that Wagler has added muscle to his frame during the pre-draft process. He came to Illinois at 168 pounds and weighed 188 pounds at the combine; his frame should be able to continue adding strength over the next few years.”

SB Nation: Keaton Wagler (Formerly Wagler)

“The early read on this choice is that it’s going to come down to Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. and Illinois’ Keaton Wagler. I have Brown higher on my board, but Wagler feels like a cleaner fit in LA next to Darius Garland. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Clippers look to trade down. Wagler’s off-the-dribble shooting was so impressive in his breakout freshman year, and should continue to fuel his NBA success. If Brown goes in this spot, Wagler could fall to the Hawks at No. 8.”

Yahoo Sports: Mikel Brown Jr. (Formerly Wagler)

“The Clippers are widely considered by league sources as the most likely team to trade down in this range. Different teams could be targeting different players. But the most common name mentioned is Brown, who has an unstoppable pull-up jumper, an ambidextrous finishing ability, and the quick reads to rifle passes before the defense has time to react. He had a 45-point breakout performance in February after a back injury dogged him all freshman year and then ended his year later in the month. The absences muddy the evaluation and leave real questions about his consistency that may not get answered until he’s fully healthy. And right now, he is, and all indications are that he is dominating workouts.”

The Ringer: Brayden Burries (Same as May 13)

Once again, Keaton Wagler remains the most popular name for the Clippers at 5, with nobody else included more than once. Right now, it seems as though Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., and Brayden Burries are the guards in consideration for the Clippers at that spot, with Darius Acuff and Kingston Flemings being less likely.

There are, however, multiple mentions of the Clippers trading down. It seems quite possible that the Clippers will move down on draft day – the questions would be how far down and for what additional assets. I think that the clear drop off in prospects after 4 makes a trade-down a fine strategy, but I wouldn’t want the Clippers to move down too far and lose out on taking a true Tier 2 level player.

2026 NBA Clippers Mock Draft Roundup: Two Weeks Out
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2026 Clippers continues with veteran forward John Collins.

Basic Information

Height: 6’9

Weight: 230 pounds

Position: Power Forward

Age: 29

Years in NBA: 9

Key Regular Season Stats (for Clippers): 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.4 turnovers in 27.1 minutes per game across 69 games played (56 starts) on 55.2/40.6/76.6 (3.2 3PA, 2.2 FTA) shooting splits (64.3 True Shooting)

Expectations

John Collins was considered by most people to be the most significant acquisition the Clippers made last summer. After a series against the Nuggets in the 2025 playoffs where the Clippers looked small, weak, and unathletic, particularly in comparison to Aaron Gordon, the swap of Norm Powell for John Collins was a logical move where they upgraded all three of those weak points in their starting lineup. Or at least, that was the presumption until the Bradley Beal signing, when it became somewhat unclear if Collins would start or come off the bench. Regardless of starting status, it was expected Collins would play a major role for the Clippers as a type of player they had not had for years: a large, athletic forward that could shoot and hopefully fill in a bit as a stretch center as well.

Reality

Collins indeed came off the bench to start the season, as the Clippers went with Beal and Derrick Jones Jr. as their “other” starters next to Harden, Kawhi, and Zubac. Collins played well off the bench to start the season, scoring in double figures in eight of the Clippers’ first nine games with good efficiency and solid rebounding. However, things were thrown off for Collins, as they were for the entire team, when Beal was ruled out for the season with a hip injury. Collins was thrust into the starting lineup on November 10 and mostly stayed there the rest of the year.

The next month or so was extremely rough for both Collins and the Clippers. Collins could not make his outside shots, the spacing was clunky with him and Zubac on the floor together, his defense was inconsistent at best, and he was good for two horrible decisions per game with the ball in his hands. The Clippers floundered, and all of their offseason acquisitions seemed to be busts.

Then, towards the end of December, Collins clicked into place, and everything began to make more sense. The threes started dropping at a higher rate, the defense stepped up a level, and the rebounding ticked up. As Collins got better, so did the team, with that glorious 16-3 run coming right in line with Collins’ improved play. In fact, if you were to ask me what the main causes of the Clippers’ midseason turnaround were, I’d say first would be Kawhi Leonard’s jump from “good” to “superstar” level of play and second would be Collins figuring his place on the team out. His improvement was noticeable, and it changed how the Clippers played on a nightly basis.

Collins’ momentum carried into February, which was probably an even stronger month of play for him despite his three-point shot cooling down to normal levels. Unfortunately, he got injured towards the end of the month, missed nine games with injury, and was not quite the same the rest of the season. In fact, the Clippers removed Collins from the starting lineup in several games at the very end of the season to try to bolster their perimeter defense and ballhandling.

Ultimately, it was a highly inconsistent campaign for Collins. His January and February numbers (15 points, 6 rebounds, exceptional scoring efficiency) were in line with what fans were expecting (maybe even better), while the rest of the season his production (13 points, 5 rebounds on just decent efficiency) was below part. Collins is the player that most reflected how the Clippers’ season actually went, with a horrible close, superb middle part of the season, and disappointing close. Still, those middle months were tantalizing.

Future with Clippers

Collins is an unrestricted free agent this summer, the only major player on the Clippers’ roster in that situation (Bennedict Mathurin is a restricted free agent, everyone else has an option of some kind or is under contract for next year). Just like Mathurin, Collins’ future on the roster is therefore a bit cloudier than most of the rest of the team.

Collins is heading towards the end of his prime and the Clippers seem to be going in more of a retooling direction, which could indicate a parting of the ways. However, Steve Ballmer has said over and over again that the Clippers will not lean into being bad under his reign, and the Clippers not owning their own draft picks mean a tank is not possible. Thus, Collins’ age does not seem prohibitive for the Clippers keeping him, even on a longer-term deal.

The tricky part about unrestricted free agency, of course, is that the Clippers might not have a choice in the matter. Collins could want to play elsewhere, he could want to go to a contender, or he could find a team that is willing to pay him more than what the Clippers will pony up. All of the reporting so far is that the Clippers like Collins and that Collins likes being in LA on the team, so a mutual agreement is certainly possible. How large will that deal be? Collins was fine this year, but inconsistent, and he’s heading into the slow downslope portion of his career. I think a deal along the lines of the MLE (3 years, $48M) would make sense for both parties – I can’t imagine another team offering all that much more.

If I had to guess, I think Collins will be back on the team next year on a reasonable deal as a starter or key bench player. And, if it happens, I will be fine with it. Even though Collins can be frustrating, large forwards that can contribute on both ends are valuable, and Collins is a good fit with Darius Garland on offense.

2026 Clippers Exit Interview: John Collins
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2026 Clippers continues with veteran wing Derrick Jones Jr.

Basic Information

Height: 6’6

Weight: 210 pounds

Position: Small Forward

Age: 29

Years in NBA: 10

Key Regular Season Stats (for Clippers): 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 0.8 turnovers in 27 minutes per game across 50 games played (45 starts) on 49.9/35.9/76.3 (3.1 3PA, 1.9 FTA) shooting splits (60 True Shooting)

Expectations

After an excellent first season with the Clippers where Derrick Jones started most of the year and was a key piece in revitalizing the Clippers’ previously moribund defense, fans figured DJ would probably play a similar role again in 2026. After all, DJ was in his late 20s, fit well with the Clippers’ core starters, and added athleticism that the Clippers weren’t getting from almost anywhere else on the roster. There were some fans who thought that the arrival of John Collins might push DJ out of the starting unit, but early indicators were that DJ would continue to start to add more defense to the first unit.

Reality

Sure enough, DJ began the season in the starting lineup. As we all know, the Clippers were disappointing from the very start of the season, and everyone on the roster had a piece to play in that. However, DJ was relatively blameless – his defense had maybe slipped a bit from the prior year, but he was still solid enough on that end, and was producing his usual numbers as a scorer and rebounder.

Then, in the 13^th game of the season, against the Celtics, DJ went down with what looked like a really bad knee injury. The Clippers, already 4-9, seemed to have suffered a devastating injury blow on top of what was already a season-ending injury to Bradley Beal. The news for DJ landed somewhere in the middle, in that it wasn’t a torn ACL, but it was an MCL injury that kept DJ out for well over a month. By the time he returned in late December, the Clippers were 9-21, and their season already appeared over.

DJ played in four games for the Clippers before getting injured again, somehow once more against the Celtics. The injury proved identical to that DJ had already suffered, and he missed another month before coming back in early February. By the time DJ returned for the second time, the Clippers had turned their season around with that incredible 15-3 stretch, and were back in the postseason hunt.

DJ started most of the rest of the season, and produced stats remarkably similar to his 2025 campaign. He played a few more minutes per game, averaged the exact same number of points, and upped his assists and blocks while shooting similar numbers from the floor. When he was on the floor, DJ was once again a solid rotation-caliber/low-level starting player, contributing plus defense, above-the-rim athleticism, slashing in transition, and ok shooting from deep on low volume. Those injuries, unfortunately, were key parts in the Clippers’ season going sideways, but on the other hand DJ did help keep the Clippers afloat the latter half of the year.

Future with Clippers

DJ is under contract for next season at $10.47M, a number that is quite reasonable considering the value that he provides on both ends of the court. That figure is a double-edged sword for DJ’s future on the team. It is a value contract for a good player that fits the Clippers’ ethos and is a proven performer who is still in his prime, all reasons to keep DJ and then possibly even find a way to keep him with the franchise longer term. DJ is well-liked by fans, teammates, and the overall team and seems like the kind of guy the Clippers would want to stay with the organization.

However, DJ is a playoff-caliber rotation player in his prime on a relatively inexpensive, expiring deal. All of those items make him a very logical trade candidate, especially if the Clippers try to recenter around younger players. DJ is different from the Clippers’ youngsters on the roster (and likely from anyone they’d draft at 5), so it’s not like there’s much roster redundancy, but Kris Dunn is a plus defender as well, is cheaper, and has less trade value. If the Clippers could swap DJ for even a low first-round pick in this draft, or for a protected first round pick in a future draft, the value in my opinion would be too good to pass up. I would guess DJ is still on the team next season, but there’s certainly a chance he’s moved this summer.

2026 Clippers Exit Interview: Derrick Jones Jr.
Robert Flom