With the 50th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Clippers selected Kobe Sanders, a 23-year-old wing from the University of Nevada. They traded up from 51 to 50 to make the pick, sending the rights to an international player and cash to the Knicks to make the selection

Kobe averaged 15.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 31.7 minutes per game at Nevada as a fifth-year senior (he played his first four years at Cal Poly), shooting 46% from the field, 34.2% from three (3.6 attempts), and 79.5% from the free throw line (5.9 attempts).

Kobe is tall for a wing, standing at 6’7, though he’s fairly skinny at just over 200 pounds. He scored mostly with midrange jumpers and at the free throw line, as his three-point shooting in college was not very good for a scoring wing. On offense, his best skill by far is playmaking – 4.5 assists for a guy his size is pretty good. He is good at manipulating defenses and making quick reads to open teammates. The ability to dribble, pass, and kind of shoot is valuable, and Sanders does check those boxes for an NBA wing. If he can stretch his range from the midrange to three, he could have a real NBA future.

The downsides to Kobe are fairly obvious. He’s on the older side (already 23), the three-point shot seems very shaky (at best), and his athleticism and defense are below average for an NBA player. But at 51, it is what it is.

I don’t imagine that Kobe Sanders will get a full contract from the Clippers, as they already have a pretty full roster and a lot of guards/wings ahead of him. Thus, I’d expect him to get a two-way deal, joining Trentyn Flowers and Patrick Baldwin Jr. as the Clippers three two-ways.

I’ll be honest, I don’t have a ton of thoughts on Kobe. He seems like a fine enough pick at this point in the draft, as nearly every player who I had real thoughts on were gone by pick 40 or so. There is real talent, and Kobe appears to be quite good at basketball – the question will be whether he’s athletic enough to make it in the NBA. Welcome to the Clippers, Kobe!

Clippers Select Kobe Sanders at 50 in the 2025 NBA Draft
Robert Flom

With the 30th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Clippers selected Yanic Konan Niederhauser, a 22-year-old Swiss center from Penn State who played in Germany prior to coming over for college.

Yanic averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game last year at Penn State while shooting 61.1% from the field (1/11 on threes) and 66.4% from the line (4.5 attempts per game). Prior to Penn State, he played at Northern Illinois for two years, playing limited minutes his freshman season and then serving in a low-minute center role his sophomore season.

I’ll be honest, I think this is unfortunately another really bad pick by the Clippers. Niederhauser was projected by most mock boards in the mid-40s, so I think the Clippers could have got him sometime tomorrow if they really wanted him – and there were a handful of much higher rated players on the board, notably Rasheer Fleming, Adou Thiero, and Ryan Kalkbrenner.

Let’s start with the good. Yanic is huge (6’11 without shoes) and very athletic for his size. He’s an above-the-rim threat who will feast on rim runs with NBA-level playmakers, and James Harden in particular should be able to develop a nice chemistry with him. The size and athleticism also helps on the offensive glass, and makes him a potent rim protector on defense.

Now for the bad. Niederhauser is an extremely low skill player with no shooting touch, playmaking, or handling. His only real value on offense is the rim-running and a bit of offensive rebounding. Despite the block numbers, he’s also a very, very poor defender with limited awareness and no ability to defend in space. There are the outlines of a modern NBA big man, but right now he’s essentially just a taller Kai Jones.

Niederhauser is also 22, so while he’s not as old as Kobe Brown or Jordan Miller were on draft night, he’s also further along in years for a guy as raw as he currently is. The best bet for Yanic is that he’s able to become an energy offensive big man off the bench who can come in and get some easy buckets against opposing reserves without getting punished on defense.

While this pick isn’t quite as unfathomable as the Daniel Oturu (sorry for still taking shots at you five years later Dan!) selection in 2020, I’ve also heard nothing but negative comments about it from all of the draft people and scouts I talk with on Twitter. There is some upside there, but it’s not much, and there were several significantly better prospects on the board. Oh well, there’s always pick 51, and the Clippers select better late in the draft anyway. Rooting for Yanic – he seems like a good kid who plays hard. Hopefully he proves me wrong!

Clippers Select Yanic Konan Niederhauser With the 30th Pick in the 2025 Draft
Robert Flom

The 2025 NBA Draft is tomorrow night, so here’s a last roundup of some big mock drafts and who they have the Clippers selecting at 30 and 51 in the draft.

ESPN: Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Updated June 23)

Clippers Pick 30: Noah Penda (SF/PF, Le Mans) – same as last update

Clippers Pick 51: Eric Dixon (PF, Villanova)

Bleacher Report: Jonathan Wasserman (Updated June 23)

Clippers Pick 30: Chaz Lanier (SG, Tennessee)

Explanation: “Chaz Lanier finished second at the NBA Combine in aggregate shooting, unsurprising based on his 229 made threes over the past two seasons. NBA teams that could use more offensive firepower will look past age and lack of versatility for such advanced shotmaking.”

Clippers Pick 51: Mark Sears (PG, Alabama) – same as last update

The Athletic: Sam Vecenie (Updated June 23)

Clippers Pick 30: Rasheer Fleming (PF, St. Joe’s)

Explanation: “Fleming very much looks the part at 6-8 with a 7-5 wingspan. He’s also got great leaping ability and a chiseled frame that allows him to play with force and strength on both ends. He averaged 15 points, eight rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game and drilled 39 percent from 3. The idea here is a 3-and-D forward who can potentially be switchable across the positional spectrum while also drilling 3s. But he doesn’t process things happening around him on the court quickly. Still, any team that values the frame and shooting potential will be interested in Fleming. The Clippers need more frontcourt depth and could see Fleming as an interesting answer as a small-ball five.”

Clippers Pick 51: Ryan Nembhard (PG, Alabama)

The Ringer: Kyle J Mann & Danny Chau (Updated June 24)

Clippers Pick 30: Kam Jones (G, Marquette)

Explanation: “The buzz around Jones subsided a bit during his senior year as his percentages from 3 dipped. But 10 seconds of research would reveal that his burden was significantly higher than in previous years, when he was wheeling and dealing next to (now New York Knick) Tyler Kolek. Without the All-American by his side last season, Jones was depended on to water the plants of Marquette’s offense while still scoring himself, and that proved to be a tougher task than working alongside another big-time creator. It’s highly unlikely that Jones will have to overextend himself like that ever again; he should instead be called on to hit open shots and keep the ball moving on offense. I expect his experience to shrink the gap between where he is and what the Clippers might ask of him in the near future.”

Clippers Pick 51: N/A

SB Nation: Ricky O’Donnell (Updated June 23)

Clippers Pick 30: Drake Powell (SF, North Carolina)

Clippers Pick 51: N/A

Yahoo: Kevin O’Connor (Updated June 23)

Clippers Pick 30: Rasheer Fleming (PF, St. Joe’s)

Explanation: “Fleming is a hustler who drains spot-up jumpers and brings energy on defense, swatting shots and snagging boards. But he has some real warts as a ball-handler with a lack of experience against high-level competition, so teams will have to feel real confident his role player skill set will translate. With Kawhi Leonard and James Harden handling the rock in Los Angeles, Fleming’s positive qualities could allow him to slot in right away.”

Clippers Pick 51: Johni Broome (C, Auburn)

Summary

This mock draft update brings some interesting elements to the table. Every single mock draft here (June 24 Noon Update: this is no longer true with the Ringer’s latest update) has the Clippers taking a wing of some kind (from the SG-type Lanier to the big power forward Fleming) at 30. That might not say as much about the Clippers’ thought process as it does the type of prospects who are going to be available at 30 and who the relative best prospects will likely be on the board. Still, it’s an interesting trend that really might have some meaning as to who the Clippers draft at 30.

The other note is that for the first time, multiple mock drafts are in alignment, with Fleming being chosen by two mocks as the Clippers pick (with O’Donnell choosing Powell, who had been Vecenie’s pick previously). Again, does that mean there’s real intel there? Or just that Fleming would be one of the better prospects available at 30 and fits a need on the Clippers’ roster as a big forward who can play small-ball center. Either way, I’d be quite happy with a Fleming pick at 30.

Four of the mocks had the Clippers’ pick at 51, and there was no overlap there. However, it is again interesting that two of the mocks had the Clippers taking point guards, and the other two had the Clippers drafting big men (Dixon is a power forward but probably more of a small-ball center in the NBA). Thus, the Clippers drafting a wing/forward of some kind at 30 and then a guard or big man at 51 seems to be the thought process, at least of plugged in draft experts.

Clippers 2025 Mock Draft Roundup: One Day Pre-Draft
Robert Flom

With the 2025 NBA Draft just two days away, here’s a look at 10 players who the Clippers could select with the 30^th pick that I’d have some interest in. I did not have time this year for my full positional statistical breakdowns, but these are some players who should be available in the 20-40 range of the draft that are well liked by various online draft experts and media.

Guards

Ben Saraf

Saraf would be an unusual Clippers’ draft pick in that he’s young (just turned 19) and is an international player. The Clippers haven’t selected an international prospect since David Michineau back in 2016 (SGA played at Kentucky even though he’s Canadian), but based on how the board is looking, they might this year. Saraf plays for Ratiopharm Ulm, a German team in the EuroCup, and his EuroCup stats (12.8 points, 4.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals in 24.4 minutes) are quite impressive. The questions on his shot and athleticism are what keep him down at the end of the first and early second mock range, but he seems like a decent bet as a backup point guard.

Nolan Traore

Traore is another young (19 years old) international point guard but might be an even more unconventional pick for the Clippers than Saraf. He’s played at the first division of the French LNB Pro A league the past year, and got a lot of reps as the starting point guard. He has size (6’3), burst, and some real playmaking chops, but was an extremely inefficient scorer and had a very high turnover rate. The idea of a lead guard playmaker is there, but he’s definitely a tools bet, and that’s not usually how the Clippers draft. Traore was getting lottery buzz early in the season and I wouldn’t take him there, but at 30 he’s a fine upswing swing albeit with a low floor.

Walter Clayton Jr.

Walter Clayton Jr. is, as the kids say, a bucket and a problem. He averaged 18.3 points per game for the NCAA-title winning Florida Gators last year while shooting 38.6% from three on 7.8 attempts per game. His combination of handle, shiftiness, and long-distance shooting makes him a natural point guard in the modern NBA. The issues with Clayton are simple: physically, he’s undersized at 6’2 and 195 pounds, and he’s not an explosive athlete like Ja Morant or John Wall. The Clippers could really, really use a scoring guard off the bench, and Clayton fits the bill while still having upside for more.

Wings/Forwards

Noah Penda

Penda is a hefty 6’7, 242 pound wing who played at Le Mans in the LNB Pro A this past year. Physically gifted and with a terrific motor, there are shades of a larger Nic Batum to Penda, who is also a solid passer and processes the game well. Like so many wings in today’s day and age, Penda’s success will largely come down to his three-point shooting. Penda made 34% of his threes this past year, which isn’t awful, but also isn’t a sign that he will be ready to be a threat from deep in the NBA right away. If he can become a consistent shooter, he has a clear path to being a connective 3 and D forward type that is so valuable in the modern NBA. If not, he will probably be a fringe NBA guy.

Rasheer Fleming

Almost no player in this class fits more cleanly into a Clippers’ need than Fleming from a pure player profile, as the 6’8, 232 forward from St. Joe’s is the exact kind of big forward who can shoot (39% on 4.5 attempts from deep) and possibly even play some small-ball big as he rounds into NBA condition. There are real limits on his ceiling, as he’s more of a tweener and does not have the skill or athleticism to play on the wing, but it’s easy to imagine him filling the role that Kobe Brown was supposed to as a big four or small five depending on lineups.

Adou Thiero

Thiero had a breakout junior season at Arkansas after two underwhelming seasons at Kentucky, scoring just over 15 points per game while bringing in 5.8 rebounds and nabbing 1.6 steals per game. While a bit undersized for a forward at 6’6 200, Thiero is physical and a plus athlete who can defend easily across several positions. The offensive game is a work in progress, but the tools are there for a modern defensive wing that provides at least a bit of pop on offense. Think the Thompson twins but just not at that tier of athlete.

Drake Powell

Powell is a rare one-and-done who is not projected to go in the lottery and potentially not even in the first round. Powell is 6’5 and around 200 pounds, a full-sized guard with strong athleticism that was a high recruit going into UNC. The problem is that Powell was, to put it frankly, not very good on offense in his freshman season in college. He did, however, play defense at an extremely high level for a player his age, and that combined with his pedigree makes him an interesting play in this range. Powell would certainly not be my first choice but I’d understand the pick.

Big Men

Danny Wolf

Wolf is one of the most intriguing prospects in this class, a 7 foot big man who ran Michigan’s offense and is one of the best passers in the whole draft. Wolf has flashed three point shooting, and his handle is extremely advanced for a guy his size. This all sounds great, right? Well, the defense is a work of progress to put it lightly – it’s unclear whether Wolf can really bang against NBA caliber big men in the post or defend out on the perimeter on smaller guys. The shot is also somewhat of a question mark, as poor free throw shooting numbers indicate a potential deficiency in touch. Still, there’s a unique, excellent player in here, and possibly one of the highest upsides in the class.

Johni Broome

The National College Player of the Year in 2025, Broome starred for an excellent Auburn team that made a deep NCAA Tournament run. He did everything for Auburn, averaging 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game and leading the NCAA in multiple analytics stats (BPM, Win Shares). The issue with Johni is that he’s a bit of a tweener – he might not be a good enough shooter to be a forward in the NBA, but is a bit small to be a center. Still, Johni is just good at basketball, and is someone who could be a potent bench scorer for the Clippers as soon as his rookie year.

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Kalkbrenner is another guy who’s about as “Clippers” a pick as possible. He’s old (23.5), has top-tier college pedigree (five years at Creighton, shout out Cole Huff), and was very productive his last three years in school. A traditional big man who scores in the paint, rebounds, and blocks shots, Kalkbrenner somewhat expanded his range beyond the three-point line the past two seasons, and has a solid free throw percentage for a big. There’s almost no upside there, but Kalkbrenner seems like someone who could be a fine backup big right away.

10 Interesting Prospects for the Clippers in the 2025 Draft
Robert Flom

After not having a first-round draft pick in 2022, the Clippers have the very last pick of the first round in 2023, as well as the 48^th pick. With a currently crowded roster and championship expectations, it’s possible one or both of the prospects is either a “draft and stash” or will fill the two-way slots in the G-League (the new CBA is giving each team three two-way slots instead of two). While we are starting as always with a look at point guard prospects “by the numbers” for the 2023 draft, point guard seems like the least likely position the Clippers will draft, as they have two young point guards on the roster already (though who knows if Jason Preston will stick to 2024), want to bring back Russell Westbrook, and have a bunch of other guards as well. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at some point guard prospects in the 2023 Draft!

The following explanation is more or less a copy paste explanation of the stats and methodology from previous years. The numbers I compile for this are for college players only (no international, OTE, or G-League players included), and are per game, not per possession. In the NBA, per possession is a more useful stat, but when looking at college players, I feel like playing time is a bigger component – if you can’t play in college, you probably won’t play in the NBA. I also stopped at around number 70 on ESPN’s prospect list, as guys below that won’t get drafted at 30 and are unlikely to get picked even at 48. Finally, the numbers are averaged between the last two college seasons the players played, which can hurt some guys but can balance out outlier seasons.

Similarly to above, I’m not going to delve deeply into the statistical analysis component. Suffice to say, the three most important elements for point guard prospects (in comparing college stats to advanced all-in-one numbers at the NBA level including WS/48, VORP, and BPM to determine correlation) are steals, three-point shooting, and true shooting, with age (younger is better) and rebounds also being impactful. Assists and points generally don’t seem to have much a correlation with success, nor do turnovers, weirdly enough, despite those being the three most associated stats with point guard play. Without further ado, here are some point guards in the 2023 NBA Draft that stood out for positive or negative reasons.

Best Prospects in Clippers’ Range

Marcus Sasser – Sasser actually projects as the best point guard prospect in this draft, point blank. Now, I don’t actually believe he is, and I wouldn’t take him over several of the players ranked above him, but the statistical backing is real. Sasser is more of an undersized two-guard than a point, but I think his deficiencies as a playmaker and passer can be made up for by the threat of his shooting. Sasser hit over 40% of his threes on around 7.5 attempts per game across his last two seasons in college, which is very high volume for the amateur game. He was an extremely efficient scorer, didn’t turn the ball over much, and had a very good steal rate. At 6’2, he’s going to be somewhat limited defensively, but he’s not awful on that end, and the shooting could make up for it. Maybe he’s redundant with Bones Hyland, but if he’s there at 30 I think he’d be a good talent play, and if he’s somehow at 48 he’d be a huge steal.

Amari Bailey – Bailey is not a can’t miss prospect by any means, but he rebounded the ball well, had a decent steal rate, and scored efficiently on meaningful attempts in the Pac-10 on a very good UCLA team. With real size at 6’5, aged just 19, and a top-10 high school ranking pedigree, there’s some upside to Bailey as well, somewhat unusual for a player who could be available into the second round.

Prospects to Trade Up For

Cason Wallace – The Clippers don’t have a ton of assets to trade up much in the 2023 draft, it’s unlikely they’d use real assets to trade up at all, and would likely not move up for a point guard. That said, Cason Wallace would be the guy for me. He’s fallen a bit in the past few weeks from seemingly a lock for the top 10 to being mocked as low as the mid-late teens, and if he drops that far he will be a steal. He had very good production as a freshman in a strong conference, providing an exceptional steal rate, 2:1 assist to turnover ratio, and decent scoring efficiency with good defense. There might not be superstar upside there, but Cason could be a plus on both ends, and being 6’4 as a point guard is valuable for defensive purposes. I think he’d be a good fit on the Clippers and a great talent get if he does fall to 17 or so.

Prospects to Avoid

None, really – Jalen Pickett and Justin Powell project particularly well with the stats, and are older prospects without a ton of upside, but neither of them are dreadful statistical prospects either. I wouldn’t be happy if the Clippers took either of them, but I don’t think there’s a single player on this list who gives me “steer away at all costs” vibes via numbers or film.

International Prospects of Note

Nadir Hifi – Hifi is technically categorized as a “shooting guard”, but at 6’2 he’d be playing point guard in the NBA. Hifi plays for Le Portel in the French LNB Pro A league, one of the best in Europe (and the world), where he starts and plays over 30 minutes per game. Hifi turns 21 just two weeks after the draft, so he’s fairly young, and he’s averaging 16.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 3.4 assists against good competition while shooting 56% from two and 34.5% from three (on 5.4 attempts per game). His production is very good considering his age, so even though he’s not an above-the-rim athlete or a great playmaker, he’s someone I think could play in the NBA as a backup.

The Clippers are unlikely to draft a point guard at all in the 2023 draft, as mentioned above, but at the end of the first and late 2^nd rounds it should be best pick available mode, so if the best player left is a point guard I’d want the Clippers to make the pick and figure out the rest later. Is there any point guard you’d want the Clippers to draft?

2023 NBA Draft By the Numbers: Point Guard Class
Robert Flom

The 2021 NBA Draft is less than 10 days away, which means it’s time for another mock draft roundup focused on the Clippers. Below are seven sites’ mocked picks for the Clips, most with explanations on the selection, of which I’ve curated key bits.

ESPN: Cameron Thomas, SG

“With questions lingering around Kawhi Leonard‘s future, the Clippers will need to add scoring punch to their backcourt/wing rotation… Expecting a pick in the mid-20s to be an instant contributor is a tall ask, but if anyone can do it it’s Thomas… He is one of the best scorers in the draft and will likely need very little time to acclimate himself offensively…”

The Athletic: Jaden Springer, PG/SG

“The Clippers love toughness, and Springer does bring that in how competitively he plays, especially on the defensive end… Springer won’t necessarily be able to step in and help immediately, given the adjustments he needs to make and the improvement he needs as a shooter. But I do like him as a nice potential complement to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard…”

Sports Illustrated: Joel Ayayi, SG

“Ayayi was among the players who opted out of attending the draft combine… A capable shooter, excellent passer and elite off-ball cutter, Ayayi is the type of feel-driven player the Clippers tend to love… Ayayi has the chops to help a playoff team early in his career, and added upside as he gains comfort playing on the ball.”

Bleacher Report: Jaden Springer, PG/SG

There was no description from BR here, but I love Jaden Springer and am delighted that two different sites in this 2021 mock draft roundup had him going to the Clippers.

The Ringer: Greg Brown, PF

“If there’s one thing the Clippers lack, it’s a young prospect with raw skills and a ton of promise… Brown lacks seasoning, but he’s an incredible athlete who projects as an impactful defender. Though there’s a chance Brown doesn’t pan out, the Clippers don’t have many valuable picks or much upside on their roster, so they need to take a risk.”

CBS Sports: Ayo Dosunmu, SG

“The Clippers could use some scoring pop off the bench, and Ayo Dosunmu is one of the most polished scorers in the draft… His size and length will allow him to play multiple positions and fit into the Clippers’ switching defensive scheme.”

Yahoo Sports: Quentin Grimes, SG

No description here either. I like Grimes ok – I think there will be better prospects available at 25 (like Springer and Ayayi), but I wouldn’t hate the pick.

NBC Sports: Usman Garuba, PF/C

“In the modern NBA, he’s likely a stretch four of undersized five in the pros. He has a solid release from the perimeter and he has good movement without the ball, but he doesn’t jump off the page.

LA needs physical defenders with upside. They also need players that can fill in and play right away… Either way, he looks like a versatile player that will eventually carve out a niche in the NBA.”

There’s not a ton more to add. I’d be very, very happy with five of these picks (Springer, Ayayi, Garuba, and Dosunmu), ok with Grimes, not super pleased with Thomas, and apoplectic at a Brown pick. Six of these players are guards, which does I think hint at where the Clippers might go. Stay tuned for at least one other mock draft roundup coming in the next week or so!

2021 NBA Clippers Mock Draft Roundup: 10 Days Out
Robert Flom

The Clippers have taken Jayden Scrubb with the 57th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Scrubb is a sophomore wing from John A. Logan University who averaged 21.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in his last year of play. Widely considered one of the best guards at the junior college (JUCO) level, Scrubb was awarded a scholarship transfer to Louisville late in 2019 but ultimately deferred to go the NBA Draft.

Scrubb is a large wing at 6’6 with a pretty complete scoring package. He can get to the line (7.5 attempts per game), hit from midrange, and score around the basket. He shot 39.5% from three on around 4 attempts per game, which isn’t super high-volume, but shows some promise. Defensively, despite his size, Scrubb posted mediocre steal numbers at the JUCO level, though he did block a lot of shots. He does seem to possess NBA-caliber athleticism, which is a plus, especially considering his size.

The main issue with Scrubb will be whether he can adjust to NBA-level athleticism. He was able to score and bully his way to the basket at the JUCO level, but could he have done at the D-1 level, much less in the NBA? We will need to see, but his scoring and physical profile are promising.

There were other players available at 57 I would have taken over Scrubb (Nate Hinton, Sam Merrill, and Devon Dotson come to mind), but Scrubb seems like a solid pick. After reaching horribly for Daniel Oturu at 33, the Clippers were able to improve their overall 2020 NBA Draft outcome a bit with the Jayden Scrubb selection.

Clippers Select Jayden Scrubb with the 57th Pick in 2020 NBA Draft
Robert Flom

I don’t have a lot to say, guys. The Clippers sent a 2023 2nd round pick to the New York Knicks, and selected Daniel Oturu with the 33rd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Oturu is a big man from the University of Minnesota who put up 20.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game in his sophomore season. Sounds good right? Well, not so much.

Despite his seemingly dominant numbers, Oturu is a highly traditional center, the kind of which has gone out of fashion in the NBA over the past 10 years. While he can block shots around the basket, he has no ability to defend in space on the pick and roll or out on the perimeter, limiting his ability on that end. Offensively, he can score around the basket, and has flashed some range (36.5% three point shooting on 1.7 attempts) but reads the court super slowly, which is why he had 1.1 assists to 2.5 turnovers per game. The rebounding is nice, I guess, but he seems like a guy who will maybe be a 12 minute a game backup center who can feast in the post on offense but will get torched on the other end.

At the 57th pick in the draft, the Daniel Oturu pick would have been fine for the Clippers. I wouldn’t have been excited about it, but Oturu has talent, and he can score and rebound well. The issue is that the Clippers traded up for Oturu at 33 when there were many, many, MANY better players on the board. If they wanted a big man, Xavier Tillman from MSU is a far superior modern prospect who is stronger in the pick and roll, an infinitely better defender, and can make reads on both ends of the court.

But I’m not sure why the Clippers would draft a big man at all, even with Montrezl Harrell presumably walking in free agency. They took project big man Mfiondu Kabengele at 28 in last years draft, and Ivica Zubac should be a 30+ minute a game force at center. The clear need for the Clippers was at point guard to add more creation and shotmaking, or at wing for defense and shooting. Instead, they got neither.

At point guard, Theo Maledon, Grant Riller, Tre Jones, Devon Dotson, and Cassius Winston were all on the board. All of them (and especially Maledon and Winston) could have been rotation players fairly soon after drafting, and long-term backups. At wing, Isaiah Joe, maybe the best three-point shooter in the draft, was still available, as was the solid Robert Woodard. Even before going deeper into the steals, there were easily 7 clearly better players on the board than Oturu.

The 2020 NBA Draft is not over, and the Clippers still have the 57th pick to maybe select a point guard or wing. Oturu is probably a fringe NBA-level player (kind of similar to Johnathan Motley really), but he was not a great choice at 33, and it’s confusing that the Clippers went in that direction at that point in the draft. With that said, Oturu is a high-character guy, and hopefully he pans out for the Clippers.

Clippers Trade Future Pick for Daniel Oturu at 33
Robert Flom

The 2020 NBA Draft is tomorrow, so mock drafts are getting updated rapidly. We put out a mock draft roundup two days ago, but with many changes taking place, we decided to put out another roundup of players projected to the Clippers in the 2020 NBA Draft.

ESPN: Marko Simonovic, Big Man

I don’t know too much about Simonovic, but he’s ranked well below 57 on the Athletic and ESPN’s Big Boards. He put up big stats for a good European team (Mega Bemax, where Ivica Zubac played), but has limitations defensively and has only a handful of games this 2021 season with good three-point percentages. Seems like a mostly traditional pick-and-roll big offensively and a vertical rim protector on defense. Would probably be a draft and stash while he develops.

The Athletic: Kenyon Martin Jr., Power Forward/Wing

While Vecenie updated his draft board, he’s left Martin for the Clippers. Maybe he’s heard something about that pick, maybe he just likes the fit, or maybe there’s just not enough info for him to adjust.

Sports Illustrated: Mason Jones, Wing

Mason Jones is a guy I like quite a bit. He didn’t stand out too much in my statistical model due to his pedestrian freshman season, but he was a monster in his sophomore year at Arkansas (22 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists per game on 61.4% TS), and clearly has a lot of talent. He was a transfer from a state college, so despite only being at Arkansas for two years he’s already 22.5. Additionally, his numbers were padded by huge free throw figures – which he certainly won’t get in the NBA. Only average (at best) athletically, Jones’ NBA prospects will depend on whether his shot is merely good, or if it can be better than that. He doesn’t have much upside, but could get buckets on a second unit almost as soon as he enters the league.

Bleacher Report: Sam Merrill, Wing

Merrill is probably my favorite realistic pick at 57, so it’s great that at least one mock had him projected there. Merrill is a dead-eye shooter, a very intelligent basketball player, and possesses enough size to defend most guards. His age and lack of top-tier athleticism makes him a low-ceiling pick, but the Clippers won’t find a guy who’s more likely to step onto an NBA court and contribute positive minutes at 57 than Merrill.

CBS: Naji Marshall, Wing

This pick is the same as last time as well, though talking to a couple people has raised my opinion of Naji a bit. He still wouldn’t be my top choice, but I think he’d be a fine pick.

Well, in this 2020 NBA Draft mock draft round, the Clippers were projected with three wings, a big, and a tweener forward (Martin), again indicating their interest in wings. It remains my prediction that if the Clippers pick a 57 they will take a wing, but would pick a point guard if they trade up.

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2020 NBA Draft Clippers Mock Draft Roundup
Robert Flom

The 2020 NBA Draft is now just two days away! Having examined the point guard and wing prospects of the draft already, it’s now time to examine the big men prospects. I find it more unlikely that the Clippers will go with a big man because they selected a project big in the 1^st round of last year’s draft, but if the right guy is there they could of course take the swing. There’s also the possibility that Mfiondu Kabengele might not be long for the Clippers organization, as they could try to move him for a veteran upgrade and clear up a spot for a new prospect. So, without further ado, let’s look at the big men prospects of the 2020 NBA Draft by the numbers.

Unlike the point guard and wing prospects, which have some unusual correlations between college stats and NBA success, the important big men stats make a ton of sense. The statistics with the highest relevance are: age, assists, rebounds, blocks, turnovers, and TS efficiency. The two that might feel left out are steals and points per game – points generally speaking do not correlate across any position, while steals do for wings and guards, but are more confounding with big men. That said, rebounds and blocks, the two primary “big men stats”, are highly indicative of NBA success: if you can’t rebound or protect the rim in college, you probably won’t be able to do so in the NBA.

Prospects Clippers Should be Interested In

Paul Reed – Paul Reed is a power forward from DePaul who I project as a small-ball center at the next level. Despite being “just” 6’9 and 220 pounds, Reed put up monstrous rebound and block numbers, especially in his junior season, and promises to be someone who can carry out big man functions around the rim at the next level. He’s certainly somewhat undersized to be banging against guys like Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid, but I think he can survive at center against a lot of lineups, and his defensive versatility on the perimeter is impressive. The key for him might be shooting – he flashed a bit of a three-point shot in college, and if he can improve on that, he’d be able to play more at power forward alongside a true center. He’s a tricky fit, but very good at basketball, and those guys are always worth a shot.

Killian Tillie – Tillie is a guy who would only be available at 57 due to his college injuries (he had a stress fracture in his ankle as well as some knee issues). When he was healthy in his sophomore season, he was a projected first round pick as a monstrously good defender who can also stretch the floor. The injury issues are scary, but at 57, the investment is low, and the reward (a backup big man who can offer positive value on both sides of the court) is pretty huge.

Prospects Clippers Should Trade Up For

Xavier Tillman – Ah Xavier Tillman. The man who almost single-handedly ruined the days of Michigan fans such as myself for two years at Michigan State. Tillman is just 6’8, but his 245 pound frame and immense strength means he’s clearly a center at the next level. Nobody can push Tillman around – he pushes you around, and does so in bruising fashion. Despite his girth, Tillman is a nimble defender on the perimeter, and has excellent defensive instincts. While not a versatile offensive player, he sets massive screens and is great at finishing around the rim – two incredibly invaluable skills for a big man to possess. Tillman is also a decent passer, and has shown flashes of expanding his range behind the three-point line. Even if he never gets that outside shot down, his defense and rim-running should make him a plus impact NBA player on both ends. He’s the Brandon Clarke of this draft, a guy who dominated in college but will fall too far because of lack of age and flashy play. While I love Onyeka Okongwu as well, I think there’s a legitimate chance that of Tillman ends up the best player of any of the big men in the 2020 NBA Draft. If he drops to the second round, the Clippers should do whatever they can to get him, because he probably solves their backup big man issues immediately.

Prospects Clippers Should Avoid

Mamadi Diakite – Diakite was the backbone of some very good Virginia teams during his time in college, so what’s the issue? Well, Diakite is quite old (almost 24), has poor rebounding numbers (though at least some of that can be attributed to Virginia’s scheme), and has an atrocious assist to turnover ratio. He’s probably going to be an ok defensive player, but the rebounding and lack of offensive game are scary. I wouldn’t be upset at this pick, but even at 57 I think there will be better prospects available.

Ultimately, I think this crop of big men prospects is quite a bit weaker than the point guard and wing prospect groups. There will probably be some decent big men that come out of this draft, but there are also a lot with pretty strong limitations in one fashion or another. Combine that with the Clippers already having a young, upside-laden big man in Mfiondu Kabengele, and I hope that the Clippers steer clear of big men in the 2020 NBA Draft.

2020 NBA Draft: Big Men Prospects By the Numbers
Robert Flom