The Los Angeles Clippers lucked into the No. 5 pick of the NBA draft, but they may not keep the selection.
“ League sources widely expect the Clippers to listen to trade-down offers for the fifth pick,” Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor said earlier today.
Should Clippers Keep Or Trade No. 5 Pick?
The Clippers entered the season with high hopes of competing in the West. However, a slow start and injuries prevented them from extending their playoff streak to four straight years. However, the Clippers managed to finish above .500 for the 15th consecutive year, going 31-19 in 2026. The Clippers fell to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference’s 9-10 Play-In Game.
LA made several important moves that impact the Clippers’ future at the trade deadline. The Clippers traded Kobe Brown and Ivica Zubac to Indiana for Isaiah Jackson, Bennedict Mathurin, the No. 5 pick in 2026 (via Indiana), a 2028 2nd-round draft pick (via Dallas) and a 2029 1st-round draft pick (via the Pacers). The Clippers also received a second-round pick this year and Darius Garland from Cleveland for James Harden.
Now, it is on to the offseason, where the Clippers have several more important decisions to make. Will the Clippers completely go in rebuild mode and trade Kawhi Leonard? Leonard, who will be 35 at the beginning of the upcoming season, had a resurgence of sorts this past campaign as he finished seventh in MVP voting and 10th in Clutch Player of the Year — marking the first time he was in the top 10 in MVP voting since 2020. Leonard is on a $50.3 million contract that expires in 2027, though he is also eligible to sign a two-year, $125 million extension.
Clippers Other Decisions
Including Leonard, the Clippers have 13 players under contract for the upcoming season with a salary cap hit of $162.16 million. Bogdan Bogdanovic ($16 million), Brook Lopez ($9.18 million), Nic Batum ($5.8 million), Jordan Miller ($2.47 million), and Kobe Sanders ($2.15 million) hold team options. Meanwhile, Bradley Beal has a $5.6 million player option, and Kris Dunn ($5.6 million) and Cam Christie ($2.29 million) hold nonguaranteed deals.
The Clippers figure to pick up Miller’s option, with a decision forthcoming on June 24. Miller produced a career year with 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists with shooting splits of 53.1/34.5/77.7. They project to do the same with Sanders and Dunn, while Beal seems destined to exercise his player option. It would be a surprise if the Clippers pick up Bogdanovic, Lopez’s, and Batum’s options. However, Bogdanovic and Lopez could return, for less money, though those decisions may be tied to what the Clippers do with Leonard.
Let’s assume that everything stays the same, except that at least Christie and Batum don’t return. That would leave the Clippers with 11 players and plenty of cap space. Bennedict Mathurin is projected to be a restricted free agent, as the Clippers are expected to offer him an $8.7 million qualifying offer. However, NBA Insider Keith Smith believes the Clippers may offer him a three-year, $50 million deal.
“Bennedict Mathurin can be made a restricted free agent,” Smith said. “He’s a terrific scorer, but has shown much more than that. If the Clippers feel they need his scoring, they could re-sign him.”
“A reasonable deal for Mathurin is something in the range of $50 million over three years,” Smith continued. “That’s a touch over the MLE, but doesn’t break the bank or drift towards being difficult to trade.”
John Collins is also a free agent, but it is hard to imagine that he will be back. But if the Clippers decide not to bring Lopez back, then Collins would be a reasonable replacement on a team-friendly deal. The Clippers have three draft picks and two second-round selections in 2026 — No. 36 and No. 52.
What To Do With No. 5 Pick
The Clippers are projected to select a guard or big with their first-round pick: Keaton Wagler, Brayden Burries, Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Fleming, Mikel Brown Jr., and Aday Mara being potential options.
Speaking of Brown, according to Jeremy Woo of ESPN, the 6-5 guard worked out with the Utah Jazz and is also expected to have individual workouts with Chicago and the Clippers, among others. Woo Sai Brown measured and tested well and appeared healthy during his workout with the Jazz.
“There is an opportunity for Brown to climb the board with strong workouts, with his positional size, shotmaking, and passing vision all strong calling cards that could separate him from the other freshman guards,” Woo wrote. “Brown began the season viewed by teams as a potential top-five pick and can remind teams of his talent in these settings. Most around the NBA expect Brown to outperform his 34% 3-point clip, particularly as his shot selection and consistency improve over time. While Brown has the size and shooting ability to add value off the ball eventually, he’s most comfortable with it in his hands and would be maximized with heavy on-ball reps out of the gate.”
However, Brett Siegel of Clutch Sports believes the Clippers will ultimately choose Wagler if they retain the pick.
“Wagler is not only a great ball-handler and passer, but his perimeter game and ability to spread a defense out are what have many around the NBA believing he can be a lead guard for years to come,” Siegel said yesterday. ” Wagler continues to gain momentum as the best player in the draft, following the four top prospects. There has not been much discussion about the LA Clippers trading the fifth pick, but they are obviously open to hearing offers that come their way. Should this pick remain in the Clippers’ hands, Wagler appears to be their top choice at this time.”
Who Could Be The Clippers Trade Partners?
If LA decided to trade out of the No. 5, who could be their trade partners?
O’Connor mentioned the Oklahoma City Thunder as having the desire to move up in the draft. The Thunder own the No. 12 and No. 17 picks in the first round and are reportedly interested in moving up to draft Cam Boozer. So, would the Thunder send the No. 12 pick, a future first, and Aaron Wiggins to the Clippers for the chance of moving into the top 3?
Dallas (No. 9 and No. 12) and Atlanta (No. 8 and No. 23) also have multiple first-round selections in the upcoming draft.
Could The Clippers Bring Over Vanja Marinkovic?
The Clippers made three trades at last year’s trade deadline, with two of the three previously mentioned. One of the more peculiar moves was their acquisition of Serbian Vanja Marinkovic from Brooklyn as part of the Chris Paul deal. The Clippers didn’t have to take on the rights to Marinkovic, and they are an organization that likes international players. So, he may come over this summer, whether for the summer league or as a training camp invitee.
Marinkovic, the No. 60 pick in 2019 by Sacramento, has never played in the NBA. Known as a 3-and-D wing, Marinkovic has spent the last two seasons with KK Partizan in Serbia. The 6-6 guard averaged 7.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists as a part-time starter in 31 appearances. He scored in double figures seven times and drained 1.4 threes at a 34.1% clip.
Photo credit: Jaime Valdez, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
