Ups and downs. Twists and turns. Zigs and zags. There are endless ways to describe the odd year the Los Angeles Clippers went through in the 2025-26 season.
Superstar Kawhi Leonard and the franchise found themselves at the center of a major scandal. The Clippers began the season in total misery with a 6-21 record and stuck in the basement of the league standings. During this disappointing start, the team moved on from franchise icon Chris Paul, and it happened in not-so-great fashion.
Then months later, the Clippers turned it around and finished 42-40, but not without completing two blockbuster trades. The first saw L.A. deal veteran James Harden for the younger, but more injury-prone, Darius Garland. The other led to the Clippers parting with starting center Ivica Zubac, but in the end, they picked up one of the top picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Now, the Clippers enter the offseason at quite an interesting time for the franchise, starting with the draft.
Clippers Draft Picks:
- Round 1 — No. 5
- Round 2 — N0. 36
- Round 2 — N0. 52
Clippers Draft Needs:
The biggest question L.A. needs to answer: where do they want to go from here?
Leonard remains on the roster. At the same time, they remain in a state of retooling with Harden and Zubac gone. The Clippers also don’t control their own first-round pick until 2030, further complicating matters.
Prioritizing the short-term makes little sense for the Clips. Unless something drastic happens, the Leonard experiment failed to bring a title to the team. The team should focus on life after his time in L.A. ends.
With the No. 5 overall pick, going with the “best/highest ceiling player available” option makes the most sense.
The other challenge for the Los Angeles Clippers: there’s a clear top four in this year’s draft and out of L.A.’s reach. That list includes AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson, in whatever order. The next prospects projected to be available after the top four are all lead guards, even though the team already has Garland.
Clippers Draft Targets:
Keaton Wagler — Guard — Illinois
Wagler remains the best of all worlds for the Clippers.
His freshman year campaign was arguably one of the best in Illinois Fighting Illini history. Wagler became the first Illinois freshman ever to be an AP All-American. Wagler was also the best player for a program that made the Final Four. He doesn’t turn 20 until February.
Besides all that, Wagler brings plenty to the table.
Scoring is his best attribute. Wagler showed in college that he could do it all. Play on- or off-the-ball, drive inside or drill it from the outside, and attack for himself or look to create for others.
Wagler averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, filling up the stat sheet across the board. He shot almost 40% from three on six attempts per game. That also accounted for around half his total shot attempts in 2025-26.
The promising attribute about Wagler’s offense: if the Clippers keep Garland, there’s a case Wagler can play alongside him. At 6-foot-6, he at least has the size to defend bigger perimeter guards.
Kingston Flemings — Guard — Houston
Like Wagler, Kingston Flemings completed an AP All-American second team campaign in his collegiate season. Both put up similar stats, but Flemings brings a slightly different skill set to the table if the Los Angeles Clippers select him.
Flemings averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The Houston Cougars guard does way more with the ball in his hands than without it. When he does have it, however, he uses his speed to push in transition and make the right play. Defensively, he’s much more proven, especially after playing under Kelvin Sampson.
Based on the tape, Flemings also relies less on off-ball action and more on the pick-and-roll to either score or pass. If the Clippers draft him, it’s to add what they believe is the best player on the board and not who can fit the best next to Garland.
All that said, his two-way skill set and potential to be a lead creator are quite intriguing.
Nate Ament — Forward — Tennessee
To be clear, this is a total wild-card option for the Los Angeles Clippers. But Nate Ament remains a promising option.
Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game with the Tennessee Volunteers. He stands at 6-foot-10 and over 200 pounds. Forwards continue to be a premium in today’s NBA, especially if they can score across the floor and defend multiple positions.
At No. 5, Ament would clearly be a reach. This would be a scenario in which L.A. moves down, restocks its future draft picks cupboard, and still lands a prospect it can develop.
Ament’s offensive ceiling is his biggest worry. He shot 40% from the floor and 33% from three on decent, but not great, volume. That said, there’s potential that Ament could be the next great wing in the league who can do it all.
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