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 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

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 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

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

Next up in our exit interview series on the 2026 Clippers is rookie guard Kobe Sanders.

Basic Information

Height: 6’7

Weight: 207 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward

Age: 23 (turns 24 next week)

Years in NBA: 1

Key Regular Season Stats (for Clippers): 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.2 turnovers in 19.9 minutes per game across 68 games played (16 starts) on 46.6/40.8/82.6 (2.9 3PA, 1.0 FTA) shooting splits (59.7 True Shooting)

Expectations

As the 50^th pick in the draft and a two-way player on a team expected to contend in the playoffs, Kobe Sanders did not have much in the way of expectations this season. Kobe was old for a rookie, and played well in the Summer League, so fans expected him to at least be a playable depth piece during periods of heavy injury, but nobody thought Kobe was going to be in the regular rotation or factor much into the Clippers’ season. When Kobe did play, the hope was for him to be competent enough at everything to not be awful, and to contribute a bit of ballhandling and scoring as a pull-up midrange shooter.

Reality

Sanders, perhaps more than any other player on the Clippers, shattered his expectations in a positive way. Kobe played garbage time minutes in the first two games, then sat out the next eight. That turned out to be the last extended stretch he didn’t play in the rest of the season.

With Bradley Beal and Kawhi Leonard out, and Chris Paul ineffective, Kobe entered the rotation on November 12 against the Nuggets and barely left it the rest of the season. Sanders had an immediate impact in his first game, nailing three of seven threes, and after a quiet second game in the rotation, had back-to-back double-digit scoring performances against the Celtics and Sixers on highly efficient shooting. Even as the rest of the team stumbled, Sanders continued to contribute solid performances, usually chipping in a handful of points, a couple of rebounds, and an assist or two on an average game.

Sanders did not leave the rotation even as the Clippers gradually got healthier and started winning games in late December. In fact, Sanders strung together perhaps his best weeks of the season in January as the Clippers went on their big winning streak, including scoring double-digit points in back-to-back games two more times with one being a noteworthy performance in a win over the Warriors. Perhaps the high note on Kobe’s entire season came on February 7, when the Clippers moved him from a two-way deal to a regular NBA contract, showing their appreciation for his play and upping his salary considerably.

Kobe’s spot in the rotation got more tenuous after the trade deadline, as Bennedict Mathurin came in and ate up a lot of minutes at the shooting guard spot, pushing Kobe to two DNP-CDs in a row on February 19 and 20. Kobe did not log more than individual DNP-CDs the rest of the way, but had a handful of games where he only played a few minutes, especially once Darius Garland also returned to the rotation. Still, down the stretch of the season, when the Clippers really needed to win games, Kobe returned to the rotation once more, this time in place of Nic Batum at the power forward spot. The fact that Kobe played minutes in those key games showed just how much trust he’d earned with the rest of the roster as well as the coaching staff.

Overall, there were rarely flashes of brilliance from Kobe, but for a rookie he was remarkably consistent, never letting bad games throw him into a funk and usually maintaining a baseline level of competence on both sides of the ball. Kobe’s three-point shooting was a particular surprise, as that was not a strength of his at the college level. He didn’t take threes at a high enough volume to be a truly dangerous threat from deep, but he shot the ball at an excellent percentage and looked confident taking contested threes. There were flashes of the confident dribble pull-up game that was Kobe’s bread and butter at the collegiate level, but for the most part he played a connector role for the Clippers – which was partially why he was a natural fill-in for Nico as Nico slipped out of the rotation. It was an encouraging rookie season, and even though there’s not a ton of upside for Kobe considering his age and lack of athleticism, he can definitely still improve in a number of facets as he ages into his mid-20s.

Future with Clippers

Kobe’s regular contract with the Clippers only runs for next season, so he doesn’t have long-term security with the team, but he’s one of the least likely Clippers to be moved in a deal. While not a future star, Kobe seems like a lock to be a rotation player in the NBA for a long time, and the Clippers’ front office and coaching staff loved having him on the team. With a small contract that’s not much use in trades, and a game that translates well to a variety of different other pieces, Kobe feels like a guy who will be on the Clippers for years to come as a supporting piece. It’s not a lock, of course – he has a long way to go to become a core piece of the team – but the Clippers have no reason to trade him and every reason to try to get him signed to a longer-term deal in the next year.

2026 Clippers Exit Interview: Kobe Sanders
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2026 Clippers continues with promising rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser.

Basic Information

Height: 6’11

Weight: 242 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 23

Years in NBA: 1

Key Regular Season Stats (for Clippers): 4.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.7 blocks in 10.3 minutes per game across 41 games played (0 starts) on 64/20/75.9 (0.1 3PA, 1.5f FTA) shooting splits (69.1 True Shooting)

Expectations

There were basically no expectations for Yanic coming into the season. While he was 22 years old on draft night, the report on Yanic coming out of college was that he was a very raw, toolsy prospect that was not ready for the intricacies of NBA play. Add onto that the presence of a workhorse starting center in Ivica Zubac, an immensely experienced backup in Brook Lopez, and a small-ball center option in John Collins, and the idea that Yanic would play real minutes outside of garbage time or in the odd injury-plagued game seemed far-fetched in the preseason. Most people thought Yanic would spend most of the season in the G-League getting reps and working his way through the Clippers system that way.

Reality

Reality followed expectations to start the season. Yanic was out of the rotation, though he appeared fairly regularly early on anyway due to the Clippers’ disastrous losing ways and their tendency to get blown out of games. In his appearances early in the season, Yanic looked just as raw as everyone thought he would, though his sheer size, athleticism, and effort were on display every time he checked in.

Things shifted for Yanic in late December, when Ivica Zubac went out with an injury for a handful of games. During that time, Brook Lopez was promoted to the starting unit and Yanic entered the rotation proper as his backup. After a few games without much impact, Yanic had monster back to back performances (albeit against the Kings and Jazz), with an 18 point, 6 rebound game followed by a 6 point, 10 rebound outing. When Zu came back, Yanic departed the rotation once more, though he had a huge 16 point game against the Wizards in mid-January while shooting 7-7 from the field.

By this point, fans had become enchanted by the possibility of Yanic, who was just so much more athletic and forceful than Brook Lopez (or Ivica Zubac). Thus, when Ivica Zubac was traded, while the prevailing fan sentiment was sadness over the departure of the longest-tenured player on the team, there was also a strong fan interest in seeing Yanic get a lot more minutes down the stretch of the season.

Yanic played 17 games in a row from January 25 through March 4, when he injured his foot and was later ruled out for the rest of the season with a Lisfranc fracture. During that time, Yanic continued to show flashes of real impact, with a particularly impressive showing on February 8 against the Wolves (15 points, six rebounds) being the standout. Yanic was still raw in terms of defense, with issues defending more physical players and committing silly fouls, but his ability to get offensive rebounds, block shots around the rim, and play with consistent energy was extremely valuable. It was still a small sample size in the grand scheme of things, but it was enough to get fans excited for what Yanic would provide in year two.

Future with Clippers

Yanic is on a standard first-round rookie deal, which means next season is guaranteed (for $2.88M) and then the Clippers have team options for his third year ($3.02M) and fourth year ($5.45M). Considering the promise of his rookie season, even with the Lisfranc injury, it’s a lock the Clippers will pick up his third season option when the time comes for them to do so in fall. After that, who knows, but there’s no reason to think Yanic won’t be given the next couple of years to develop on the Clippers. Whether he becomes the franchise starting center is a harder question, but he will probably be given opportunities to claim that role in the seasons to come.

2026 Clippers Exit Interview: Yanic Konan Niederhauser
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2026 Clippers continues with Brook Lopez, the backup center that received a promotion to starter mid-season with the Zubac trade.

Basic Information

Height: 7’1

Weight: 282 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 38

Years in NBA: 18

Key Regular Season Stats (for Clippers): 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks in 21.8 minutes per game across 75 games played (40 starts) on 42.8/36/75.7 (4.2 3PA, 1.0 FTA) shooting splits (55.2 True Shooting)

Expectations

The biggest name the Clippers added last summer was Bradley Beal, the most nostalgic addition was Chris Paul, and the highest upside new face was John Collins, but the new player a lot of Clippers’ fans were most excited about was Brook Lopez. The Clippers had cycled through a seemingly endless series of awful, bad, or at best mediocre big men since letting Isaiah Hartenstein walk in the summer of 2022, a move that haunted the Clippers for years. Brook promised to change that. A starter for almost his entire career, Brook was coming off a pretty good season for the Bucks as the third-best player on a solid playoff team. Thus, it seemed quite reasonable that with a smaller role off the bench for the Clippers behind Ivica Zubac, Brook could be a highly productive backup center contributing three-point shooting on offense and excellent rim protection on defense while still being a functional starter if Zu ever missed time.

Reality

Expectations were raised when Brook was reportedly the best player on the court for much of training camp and then played very well in preseason. Brook looked just like he did for his Bucks tenure, and his ability to score in the post, shoot from deep at high volume, and defend the paint seemed like a great fit for what the Clippers needed.

Unfortunately, Brook was a big factor in the Clippers’ early season woes. Much like Chris Paul, all of his energy and mojo from the preseason did not carry over to when the games actually mattered. Brook looked unbelievably slow, with his inability to get up and down the court playing a large role in the Clippers’ transition defense being a disaster. On offense, Brook was cold from three at the very start of the year, and even as he started heating up, he wasn’t taking enough threes to really punish defenses. Things got so bad that when the Clippers were in the middle of their worst stretch of the season, Brook was benched for six games, from November 25 to December 5. He then played a few minutes in two more games before another DNP-CD.

Brook’s season, and the Clippers’, changed on December 20, when Ivica Zubac left a game against the Lakers due to injury. Brook stepped up in a major way, playing his most minutes (24:52) of the season to beat the Lakers and break a five-game losing streak. Brook moved into the starting unit as Zu missed the next six games, and the Clippers, for the first time all season, found some rhythm, winning all five of Brook’s first starts. As silly as it was, there was some controversy about the starting spot, with certain fands wondering if Brook’s outside shooting opened up the offense enough to warrant him starting over Zu. That did not happen, and after one more start, Brook moved back to the bench when Zu returned in early January.

January was a good month for the Clippers, but Brook’s numbers were quite dreadful, averaging 4.9 points on horrendous 30.1/22.9 shooting splits. His defense was impactful, but the offense lagging meant a lot of minutes for Ivica Zubac. When Zu was traded before the deadline, Brook was moved into the starting unit. There were points when the rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser seemed to be overtaking him, but then Yanic was ruled out for the rest of the season, and Brook played huge minutes the rest of the way. Ultimately, Brook was fine the last third of the season in the starting role, with his numbers more less looking similar to those in his last couple of seasons in Milwaukee.

Brook, unfortunately, was a good example of stats not matching the eye test. When you look at his per 36 numbers, his stats from this season are actually very much in line with his later Milwaukee seasons from a pure production standpoint. However, actually watching Brook play this year was painstaking (at least for me). Him probably being the single slowest player in the NBA was torturous to see in regards to loose balls, rebounds, and transition play. There were games where he hit threes or cooked in the low post, and his defense in the paint was pretty good the last half of the season. Objectively, he was a fine rotation center. But the two-point shooting and mobility falling off a cliff was a real reason the Clippers disappointed this year, even if Brook was able to salvage his season down the stretch.

Future with Clippers

The Clippers have a team option for Brook at a little under $9.2M. Quite honestly, I have no idea whether they’ll pick it up or not. Brook was *ok* for most of the year as a backup center, and that’s not a horrible overpay for a reliable backup big man. He’s also a beloved teammate and locker room presence that the Clippers could use as they continue moving towards a younger roster. On the other hand, he’s really old and having slipped quite significantly already from the prior season, it’s very possible he’s truly unplayable next season if he loses another half-step. The Clippers will be waiting for youngster Yanic Konan Niederhauser to recover from Lisfranc surgery (he probably won’t be ready until a couple months into the season), so they’ll be short at big man if they decline Brook’s option and move on. I would rather the Clippers moved on from Brook, but I think there’s a decent chance he’s back on the team next year. If so, hopefully he’s in a much smaller role than he was this past year.

2026 Clippers Exit Interview: Brook Lopez
Robert Flom