Pre-Draft Outlook
The Clippers are coming off back-to-back 50+ win seasons — including a 30-11 home record in the debut season of the Intuit Dome. Kawhi Leonard (knee) finished the season healthy for the first time since 2021, but LA’s playoff run was cut short with a Game 7 loss to Denver in the first round. A key question entering the offseason is whether or not James Harden will opt out of his contract and return for another season.
The Way To Go
LA holds the final pick of the first round due to a pick swap with Oklahoma City. This will be a common theme as the Clippers do not control their draft until 2030 with picks and swaps outgoing over the next five years. Two areas of focus with this year’s picks (30, 51) are adding a playmaker/creator to back up Harden (see Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford) and a young big to back up Ivica Zubac (see Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner).
— Brian Martin
Here’s a quick look at LA’s current roster entering the Draft:
Under Contract
G: Bogdan Bogdanović
G: Cam Christie
G: Kris Dunn
G: Jordan Miller
G: Norman Powell
G/F: Seth Lundy
F: Kobe Brown
F: Patrick Baldwin Jr.
F: Derrick Jones Jr.
F: Kawhi Leonard
F/C: Drew Eubanks
C: Ivica Zubac
Free Agents
G: James Harden
G: Patty Mills
G/F: Nicolas Batum
G/F: Amir Coffey
G/F: Ben Simmons
F: Trentyn Flowers