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

Our exit interview series on the 2026 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

Key Regular Season Stats (for Clippers): 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 (2.6 3PA, 1.0 FTA) shooting splits (58.1 True Shooting)

Expectations

With the additions of Chris Paul and Bradley Beal last summer, the expectation was that the Clippers were purposely leaning in a more offense-oriented direction after their offense fell apart against the Nuggets in the 2025 playoffs. Rightly or wrongly, Dunn was at the center of the criticisms towards the Clippers’ offense, as the Nuggets left him wide open from three and Dunn could not make them pay. Thus, it was expected that Dunn would play a lesser role in the Clippers’ rotation in 2026 than he did in 2025, when he started most of the season and played heavy minutes. There was even a sentiment Dunn would be out of the rotation entirely, but this was not a popular suggestion due to the importance of Dunn’s defense and leadership.

Reality

As discussed in nearly all of these exit interviews, expectations did not come close to reality. Kris Dunn played in more games, started more games, and played more minutes per game this season than he did in 2025, going against the Clippers’ implicit desire to reduce his role on the team. In fact, Dunn played in every single game this season, an extremely impressive feat in 2026 when the NBA game is so fast-paced and difficult on players’ bodies.

On the whole, Dunn was one of the Clippers’ most consistent players in the past season, not just because of his availability but because his effort, intensity, and production generally did not vary much. It was a fascinating season from Dunn, as his defense noticeably slipped from 2025, when he was one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire NBA. His defense this past season ranged from “good” to “excellent” but rarely hit the highs of 2025. He only received a single All-Defense vote, and it’s hard to argue he should have placed over any of the players that actually made the All-Defense teams.

On the other hand, Dunn’s offense was much better this past season: he scored more, handed out more assists, and shot better from two-point range, three-point range, and the free throw line. Dunn’s overall shot variety changed a bit as well – he took fewer of his shots from three-point range, and got to the line a ton more (22 attempts in all of 2025, 81 this past year). It’s not like Dunn was a dynamo on offense, but he consistently made his presence felt more than the prior year, when he was mostly just a spot-up shooter.

Considering the Clippers were paying Kris just over $5.4M this past year, it’s hard to be disappointed in what he brought to the table, even with the slippage on defense. His ability to handle the ball a bit, make a decent chunk of open threes, and play strong defense made him one of the better players on the Clippers, and it was often hard for the Clippers to take him off the court due to the weaknesses of their other options.

Still, going forward, it’s hard to imagine the Clippers wanting Dunn to play a similarly-sized role. We have seen in the playoffs for years that offensively-challenged guards/wings struggle to stay on the court as the competition rises – just these playoffs Dean Wade and Lu Dort were notable examples. Dunn is a valuable player in the regular season, adds a sense of toughness and fire that the team can lack, and appears to be a truly critical piece of the locker room and team chemistry. I don’t think he should go anywhere. But as he ages into his mid 30s and the Clippers pivot in a different direction, moving Dunn to a lower-minutes bench role seems optimal.

Future with Clippers

Kris Dunn is under contract for next season at $5.685M, but that number is non-guaranteed, so the Clippers could theoretically part ways at no cost to clear more cap room. I say theoretically because it feels extremely unlikely that the Clippers would do that. Dunn has been worth much, much more to the Clippers than the 3 year, $16M deal they signed him to in the summer of 2024 – not just on the court, but as a locker room leader and overall beloved presence in the organization. At age 32, slippage is likely in the next few years, but bringing Dunn back on a longer deal at a similar number to the one he just held (maybe a bit higher) as a key bench piece feels right. It’s possible the Clippers part ways with Dunn, but I’d expect him to be on the team for at least next season and hopefully longer, even if the team should find ways to make him a less critical part of the rotation.

2026 Clippers Exit Interview: Kris Dunn
Robert Flom

Our preview of possible Clippers’ selections with the 5th pick in the 2026 Draft continues with another point guard, Kingston Flemings.

Basic Information

Position: Point Guard

Height: 6’2.5”

Weight: 183.4 pounds

Wingspan: 6’3.5”

Age on draft day: 19.5

College: Houston

Stats: 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.8 turnovers in 31.7 minutes per game across 37 games played (all starts) on 47.6/38.7/84.5 shooting splits (2.9 3PA, 3.5 FTA) for 56.3 TS

Overview

Flemings sat in the 5^th spot on mock draft boards for much of the college basketball season, and for good reason. While his stats were not as gaudy as Darius Acuff’s and his team wasn’t as good as Brayden Burries’, Flemings led a very good Houston team (30-7, made conference finals game, Sweet 16 of NCAA tournament) in points, assists, and steals per game as a freshman. Flemings’ well-rounded play and his intangibles kept him towards the top of the lottery for much of the season, with his slipping down to more of the 7 to 9 range happening late as Acuff and Keaton Wagler surged to close the season.

Strengths

Flemings’ best traits, much as you’d expect from a lottery point guard, are his creation abilities. Despite playing on a Houston team with poor spacing and minimal secondary creation, Flemings scored at a decent rate, scored with quite good efficiency, and had a lot of assists to minimal turnovers. His ability to penetrate the lane and finish, kick to shooters, or find big men was notable, and that was playing with a dearth of offensive talent around him. There is certainly the possibility that with NBA talent, especially shooting and big man play, Flemings will be a highly efficient scorer and playmaker.

While Flemings is a small guard, he was a good defensive player at the college level. Playing for Kelvin Sampson at Houston, you have to be solid on defense if you want to play, and Flemings certainly met that bar. You can question whether that defensive aptitude will translate to the NBA, but he was excellent at grabbing steals, posted decent rebounding stats, and generally showed competence on that end of the court. Undersized guards have been good defensively in the NBA before (Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley), and while usually those players have length or weight advantages that Flemings does not, there is precedent but him to be at least an acceptable defender in the NBA.

While Flemings did not measure well physically at the Draft Combine, he did perform excellently on the athletic tests. Flemings recorded the 6^th best lane agility time (5^th of anyone staying in the draft), 2^nd best shuttle run, and 6^th best three-quarter court sprint (.01 seconds behind the leader), and had excellent standing vertical (33.5 inches, second highest of any of the lottery guards) and max vertical (40.5 inches, highest of the lottery guards). In short, he’s an athletic monster that blends speed, quickness, and vertical explosion in a combination none of the other guards in this class do. Despite his undersized frame, that athletic ability bodes well for translation to the NBA.

Weaknesses

The flip side of “well-rounded” is “jack of all trades, master of none”, which has more of a negative connotation. And, indeed, Flemings was not truly elite at almost anything in college – not scoring, playmaking, shooting, or defense. There is therefore some skepticism that someone who was not elite at skills will be able to translate a bunch of B/B+ level traits to the NBA. Sometimes those sorts of prospects succeed and sometimes they fail, so that’s not anything I’ll judge Flemings too harshly on – but he doesn’t have anything quite as obvious a strength as Mikel Brown’s three-point shooting, Wagler’s bag off the dribble, or Acuff’s sheer scoring aptitude.

Really, Flemings’ size is his biggest downside. His 6’2.5 height isn’t awful, but having only a plus 1 inch wingspan and weighing just 183 pounds is not great. If you’re going to be a smaller guard, it’s usually helpful to either be a bit heavier/stronger or have a significantly plus wingspan – all of the other guards in this mid-lottery range have those advantages on Flemings. Despite his overall basketball talent, small guards face an uphill battle in the modern NBA, with Flemings’ best size comps probably being Trae Young (much better playmaker and more dynamic shooter) and Darius Garland (was a bit of a mystery box prospect after not playing much in college). He could absolutely be a really good NBA player, but top-tier upside at his size feels unlikely, and the floor is also lower if the shot doesn’t translate.

Fit with Clippers

Not to be too redundant with previous entries in this series, but Flemings’ fit with Darius Garland is questionable at the very best. In fact, Flemings being the smallest of any of this crop of guards probably makes his fit with Garland the most tenuous, even though he’s a better defender than Brown, Acuff, or Wagler. It’s just hard to imagine the Clippers playing Garland and Flemings together at their height and weight and sustaining a positive defense when the games matter, even with Flemings’ skills on that end.

Just like Wagler and Acuff, Flemings’ fit is much easier to see if Garland was not a long-term fixture on the team – he’d slot right in as the point guard, and just like Garland would make a lot of sense next to the Clippers’ other veteran and younger players. Based on what we know about the Clippers and their thoughts on Garland, it feels unlikely to me that Flemings is the pick. That said, a lot of very smart draft people I know think Flemings is the best overall prospect of this guard group, and if the Clippers took him I’d be excited to watch him play despite the fit issues.

2026 NBA Draft Prospect Preview: Kingston Flemings
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2026 Clippers continues with one of their big mid-season trade acquisitions, high-scoring guard Bennedict Mathurin.

Basic Information

Height: 6’5

Weight: 210 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 23 (turns 24 in a month)

Years in NBA: 4

Key Regular Season Stats (for Clippers): 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.1 turnovers in 28.0 minutes per game across 26 games played (1 start) on 42.6/20.7/85.8 (3.2 3PA, 7.3 FTA) shooting splits (56.1 True Shooting)

Expectations

When Mathurin was acquired at the trade deadline as part of the Ivica Zubac deal, expectations for him were crystal clear: be the Clippers sixth man off the bench. Some fans thought he might get a starting spot, but based on the Clippers’ roster and Mathurin’s own track record, a lead bench role seemed far more likely. Expectations for Mathurin were similar production to his time with the Pacers, meaning scoring in the mid-to-upper teens with an emphasis on downhill attacking and free throw generation.

Reality

For once with the Clippers, reality matched expectations. Mathurin came in and immediately started playing huge minutes off the bench, closing his second game on the team in a win over the Rockets. In his third outing, he scored 38 points in a fantastic win over Denver while adding five rebounds, four assists, and three steals, and all of the talk was about how the Clippers had got a steal in him. However, after playing 30+ minutes in his second through sixth games as a Clipper, Mathurin’s minutes tailed off some as his production dipped. For the next couple of weeks, Mathurin’s minutes varied, but he consistently provided a heavy volume of scoring with some ancillary production.

Then, in late March, it was announced that Mathurin had injured his toe and would miss at least three games. He ended up missing four, during which the Clippers went 2-2, before returning for the stretch run. Unfortunately, Mathurin’s play did not quite recover, as he scored 20 or more points in just three of those final 10 games (he did so in nine of 16 before the injury) and scored under 10 points in four of those games (only happened in three of the first 16).

Alongside the scoring, Clippers fans’ opinions shifted drastically on Mathurin during his tenure. The early, halcyon days of thinking the Clippers had landed a star guard for Zu quickly shifted towards frustration at Mathurin’s inconsistencies as a defender, decision-maker, and playmaker. By the end of the season, many Clippers fans were ready to move on, even with some of Mathurin’s huge performances for the team. However, there was definitely still a segment of the fanbase enamored by Mathurins’ tools, intensity, and bucket-getting acumen.

Future with Clippers

Mathurin’s future with the Clippers is perhaps the murkiest of any player who finished the season on the team. As a restricted free agent, the Clippers can ultimately decide to keep him if they want, as they can match any offer that another team puts forth. However, if another team gives him a big enough offer, it seems fairly likely that the Clippers will let him walk.

Mathurin is so complicated because he’s very much an “eye of the beholder” type player. You can look at him and see a prototypical sized two-guard with plus athleticism that’s a free throw and downhill attacking machine, all signs of a player with real star potential. You can also assess him as a poor decision-maker with a shaky outside shot and a defensive impact that is far worse than one would think given his tools.

That plays into the contract status in a major way. Based on his poor advanced metrics and lack of significant development as a player through four years, one could easily construct an argument that Mathurin is worth a contract not that much above the minimum, like a 3/18. On the other hand, he’s just entering his prime, has real raw production, and was a key piece on a team that nearly won a championship just last year, and his camp could use that information to want something at 4/100.

Ultimately, we don’t know whether Mathurin cares at all about staying with the Clippers, or how the Clippers feel about him, and those are the two most important elements to all of this. My guess is that Mathurin’s market is more lukewarm than he and his camp might expect, and he returns to the Clippers on a deal in between the two above, like a 3/50 – but nothing would surprise me.

2026 Clippers Exit Interview: Bennedict Mathurin
Robert Flom

Next up in our series on possible Clippers’ selections at 5 in the 2026 NBA Draft is probably the second most-mocked to the Clippers after Keaton Wagler, the electric Darius Acuff.

Basic Information

Position: Point Guard

Height: 6’2

Weight: 185.8 pounds

Wingspan: 6’6.5

Age on draft day: 19.6

College: Arkansas

Stats: 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 2.2 turnovers in 35.1 minutes per game across 36 games played (all starts) on 48.4/44/80.9 shooting splits (5.8 3PA, 6.1 FTA)

Overview

Darius Acuff had an electric season at Arkansas, leading the SEC conference in minutes, points, and assists per game as a freshman as well as having the best offensive BPM in the conference. Acuff also got results, leading Arkansas to the SEC Tournament championship and getting them to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. He was a box office draw, electrifying fans with his scoring and playmaking, and earning acclaim as maybe the most consistently fun player in the NCAA this season. It was a monstrous season for Acuff, and will get him drafted somewhere in the top 10.

Strengths

Acuff is a truly fantastic scorer that can get buckets at all three levels. For Acuff it all starts with his three-point shooting, which opens up his drive and pull-up game. For a guard of his age, Acuff truly has an advanced bag, including tough finishes around the rim, off-the-dribble threes, and self-created looks in the midrange. He’s not an explosive athlete like a Russell Westbrook or John Wall, but he is speedy and has a twitchiness to his game that makes him very tough to guard. His game strongly resembles classic bucket-getting guards, with flashes of Darius Garland, Kyrie Irving, and Kemba Walker in his scoring, dribbling, and overall approach. He is a hoopers dream, in other words.

But Acuff’s scoring is not his only strength on offense. Acuff is legitimately a good passer who dished the most assists per game in the conference while only turning the ball over 2.2 times per game. Keeping turnovers down considering his insane offensive usage is super impressive, and shows Acuff’s decision-making on that end of the court. The height can limit some passing angles, and he’s certainly not a brilliant passer like Steve Nash or Chris Paul, but there’s zero doubt he can run a team’s offense and make all of the standard passes needed in the modern NBA game.

There are intangibles to Acuff as well. While it doesn’t translate on defense (see below), he plays with a fire that is infectious, and had numerous clutch moments throughout the NCAA season. Being the leader of a good college team as a freshman is really tough, but Acuff (much like Wagler) pulled it off. He seems like someone fans would instantly fall in love with, and that has real value.

Weaknesses

Acuff’s biggest weakness is extremely obvious to anyone who has watched him play more than a few minutes: his defense. Even for a small, offense-first guard with a large usage burden, Acuff was really bad on defense. He consistently fell asleep off ball, made incorrect rotations, and offered no resistance at the point of attack. Now, some of that stuff can be worked on just through sheer effort, adding muscle, and having less of a load on offense, but it’s still very worrying. We have seen in the playoffs over the past few years that weak points on defense can get picked at over and over, and that even phenomenal offensive players (Trae Young, Darius Garland, James Harden) can get exposed in such situations. As good as Acuff is offensively, taking a player as deficient on one side of the ball as he is at 5^th overall is a big risk.

This is a big factor in the defense, but Acuff’s size is definitely a weakness in a vacuum. The NBA has moved away from small guards – the last three small guards to become stars in the NBA are Trae Young (2018), Darius Garland (2019), and Ja Morant (2019), and Ja and Trae have seen their value and rep fall off catastrophically in recent years. It’s not only difficult on defense, but on offense as well; seeing over the top of defenses for passes, finishing around the rim, and creating separation are all more difficult at Acuff’s size. I think he can still be an exceptional offensive player in the NBA, but he has to play at a high, high level to get there.

Fit with Clippers

This is where things get tough. If the Clippers do really intend to build around Darius Garland as a core piece, Acuff is the worst fit of any of the top-ranked guards with Garland, in my opinion. Acuff is the worst defender of the prospects, and pairing him with Garland seems untenable on that end of the court. On offense I think the shooting, ballhandling, and playmaking could mesh together well, but both guys are best suited as lead guards, not necessarily off guards.

That’s not to say I don’t think Acuff could work on the Clippers. The Clippers could definitely take him and give him 20+ minutes per game easily, with Acuff taking all of the non-Garland minutes as well as playing alongside him in bench units where the defense would be less of an issue. The Clippers could then reassess at the end of Acuff’s rookie season, and could either commit to him or move ahead with Garland. But Garland and Acuff together as a long-term pairing seems fraught, and that makes his overall fit on the Clippers murky. If you assume that Garland is someone the Clippers would be comfortable moving off of sooner than later, Acuff’s fit is much cleaner.

Ultimately, I would not be upset if the Clippers took Acuff at 5. He seems like the surest bet of any of the guards in this range to be a special offensive player, and that is meaningful despite the defensive questions. I don’t think he’s who I’d take, but I would get it.

2026 NBA Draft Prospect Preview: Darius Acuff
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2026 Clippers continues with a look at breakout third-year guard Jordan Miller.

Basic Information

Height: 6’5

Weight: 195 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward

Age: 26

Years in NBA: 3

Key Regular Season Stats (for Clippers): 10 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.1 turnovers in 22.1 minutes per game across 60 games played (1 start) on 53.1/34.5/77.7 (1.8 3PA, 2.9 FTA) shooting splits (62.8 True Shooting)

Expectations

It wasn’t even a certainty that Jordan would be on the Clippers’ roster when training camp began, as he was on a two-way for the third year in a row and the competition for the two-way spots in camp was expected to be stiff. Still, the expectation was that Jordan would serve in a similar role to his 2025 season, when he mostly played in garbage time and entered the rotation only in spot situations due to injury or slumps. While Jordan had some moments in the 2025 season, he played most of his minutes early on and was not a factor when the Clippers went on their end-of-season run. There was no real reason to think the 2026 season would be much different, not with all of the veteran guards and forwards the Clippers added in the 2025 offseason.

Reality

Like so many Clippers, Jordan was injured early on in the season. He missed the first 10 games with a hamstring injury, returned for a three-game stint, and then was ruled out again for a lengthy period (seven games) with a back injury. He played one game in the midst of that injury, but was quickly ruled out again for another four games. Thus, Jordan played in just four of the Clippers’ first 25 games.

By the time Jordan had returned, therefore, the Clippers’ season was already firmly in the tank. Their veteran guards and wings had disappointed, and there was ample opportunity for the younger players to grab minutes. Unfortunately, Jordan got off to a slow start, scoring in double figures in just one of the first 11 games that he played. He was only in the rotation for six of those games, and even though the scoring was lacking, he continuously chipped in on the glass and as a help defender. In previous seasons, when Jordan wasn’t scoring, he wasn’t playable, and that changed this season.

Finally, with his sea legs under him, Jordan got going. Beginning on January 9, he scored in double figures in nine of his next 10 games, with the one “miss” being a nine-point outing. He made his threes, but most importantly, he showed a downhill scoring ability that every Clipper outside of James Harden lacked. Some of Jordan’s issues remained – his defense was inconsistent and he could be single-minded in scoring without having much of an eye for playmaking for others – but the scoring assistance off the bench was huge in turning the Clippers’ season around.

Jordan’s role got a little shakier after the trade deadline, as Bennedict Mathurin came in and took the scoring guard sixth-man spot in the rotation. However, after a quiet couple of weeks, Jordan found his rhythm again at the end of February, and was pretty steadily good the entire rest of the season. The Clippers as a team were not consistent, but Jordan was good for scoring in the 10-14 point range seemingly every game, usually on good efficiency.

One great thing about Jordan this year was that the more minutes he got, the better he played. In the 36 games in which he logged 20 to 29 minutes, Jordan averaged 12.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 64% True Shooting. In five games when he received 30 to 39 minutes, Jordan’s averages leaped to 14 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while maintaining the 64% True Shooting. The rebounding, efficiency, and playmaking along with improved defensive acumen made Jordan a legitimately positive impact player in his third season, a massive leap after a rookie year when he barely played in the NBA and a sophomore campaign where he quickly faded after a hot start.

Another key element to Jordan’s play this past season was reliability and availability. After missing all of those games early, Jordan was healthy basically the entire rest of the season, missing just one game late due to a back flare-up. On a roster that dealt with so many nagging injuries, you knew that Jordan would be out there getting buckets. Consistency has never been more important in the NBA (in this writer’s opinion, anyway), and Jordan was nothing if not consistent this year. What a season for Jordan.

Future with Clippers

Jordan is under contract for the 2027 season at a minimum salary that is just under $2.5M. Considering how well he played in 2026, that contract is a steal. With three years in the organization, Jordan is a well-known and liked presence, and I’d imagine the Clippers would like to get him on a longer-term contract to keep him on the team through the rest of his 20s. The question is whether Jordan would like that as well, or whether he’d prefer to enter free agency next summer for the first time. Either way, he will likely be on the Clippers this upcoming season in a reserve scorer role, and hopefully can continue improving on his breakout campaign.

2026 Clippers Exit Interview: Jordan Miller
Robert Flom