No franchise enters the 2026-27 NBA season with a bleaker future than the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Kawhi Leonard Era is over, but not without its consequences. The Clips will be down all their first-round picks from 2029 through 2033. The NBA suspended owner Steve Ballmer for a year. Several other front-office members face a similar fate. Leonard is now a Toronto Raptor after an offseason trade, leaving L.A. with quite an uncertain future.
Besides the Aspiration investigation fallout and L.A. moving on from Leonard, many new faces joined the Clippers this offseason. What’s the state of this team heading into the year?
Clippers’ Biggest Offseason Loss: The Draft Picks
Usually, this category features a player. That’s not the case for the Los Angeles Clippers, especially after the NBA dropped the hammer on the franchise.
The Clippers’ punishment in the Leonard scandal remains unprecedented in NBA history.
Losing five first-rounders doesn’t just hamstring a franchise in the short term. It really restricts the options available to the Clippers in the seasons ahead. Should the Clippers keep their first-round pick, the 2034 NBA Draft is eight years away.
L.A. possesses other ways to get out of the mess it created. That includes boasting ample cap space and trading for “worse” salaries to pick up extra draft picks. It’s not totally “doom and gloom.”
But it’s pretty close. No team has ever faced the circumstances the Clippers will face in their rebuild post-Leonard.
Clippers’ Biggest Offseason Addition: Keaton Wagler
Keaton Wagler isn’t just the biggest offseason acquisition for the Los Angeles Clippers. He’s also their most important for the short and long term. Given the circumstances, the Clips entered the draft with a franchise-altering choice to make at No. 5.
Wagler finished with quite the one-and-done season at Illinois. He led the Fighting Illini in scoring and assists. He guided the program to a 28-9 record in 2025-26. Wagler and Illinois finished in the Final Four. Keep in mind: Wagler is still 19 years old entering the league.
Clips fans will be excited about Wagler’s offensive versatility. He scores with the ball in his hand (17.9 PPG), but he can also knock down the outside shot (nearly 40% on 5.9 3PA) and can make the right read (4.2 APG). While Wagler isn’t the best defender, he is an adequately sized guard who stands at 6-foot-6.
L.A. selected Wagler with the pick it received in the Ivica Zubac trade with the Indiana Pacers. This marked a chance for the team to bring in a blue-chip prospect and a cornerstone.
Wagler boasts all the potential. Clippers fans hope he can maximize it.
Clippers’ Best-Case Scenario Outcome
It bears repeating: the Los Angeles Clippers are entering the year in uncharted territory.
In an ideal world, Wagler proves to be that high-end prospect the team needs for a true rebuild. L.A. gets the most out of offseason additions like Brandon Ingram, Rui Hachimura, and Max Strus, which they can then hopefully flip for future pieces.
On the court, L.A. is not a playoff team. But they are in the hunt for the Play-In Tournament at the very least. The perfect comparison is the 2025-26 Phoenix Suns: not a title contender at all, but competitive, fun, and entertaining. That keeps fans engaged, and the page gets turned for good on the Leonard Era.
Clippers’ Worst-Case Scenario Outcome
Can it get any worse than now? The absolute worst scenario involves a double-edged sword.
The Clippers’ young core, namely Wagler, doesn’t perform well or adequately out of the gate. That further dims the mood for the franchise and its fans.
Besides that, the veterans and bigger names underwhelm. Players like Darius Garland continue to struggle to stay on the court. Others, like Ingram, aren’t valuable enough to be traded by the deadline.
If things get really bad, L.A. faces the chance of losing one of the top picks in the 2027 NBA Draft. The Oklahoma City Thunder can currently swap their first-round pick with the Clippers.
Clippers’ Biggest Question Heading Into 2026-27 Season
How does a franchise navigating an unprecedented punishment turn the ship around?
Improbable rebuilds have happened before in the league. For example, the Brooklyn Nets after a disastrous trade for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Or the San Antonio Spurs after the end of the Tim Duncan Era.
None have quite faced the circumstances as the Clips have in front of them.
On the one hand, L.A. can take all the gambles and risks. After all, what else does it have to lose?
On the other hand, 2026-27 will be an important turning point for the franchise. It’s the first without Leonard. That book has closed, and without a happy ending. But another has opened.
The Clips will not be a contender for quite some time. If they manage to contend, that will be nothing short of a miracle. It will be a long road ahead for the franchise and its fans. However, the work must start this year.
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