{"id":198448,"date":"2026-06-02T22:51:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T02:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=198448"},"modified":"2026-06-02T22:51:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T02:51:28","slug":"should-clippers-keep-or-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/06\/02\/should-clippers-keep-or-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Clippers Keep or Trade 2026 No. 5 Pick and 6 Potential Prospects; Plus, Clips Could Bring Over European Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Clippers<\/a> lucked into the No. 5 pick of the NBA draft, but they may not keep the selection.<\/p>\n

“\u00a0League sources widely expect the\u00a0<\/span>Clippers<\/a>\u00a0to listen to trade-down offers for the fifth pick,”\u00a0 Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor<\/a> said earlier today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Should Clippers Keep Or Trade No. 5 Pick?<\/h2>\n

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<\/a> in the Western Conference’s 9-10 Play-In Game.<\/p>\n

LA made several important moves that impact the Clippers’ future at the trade deadline. The Clippers traded Kobe Brown<\/a> and Ivica Zubac<\/a> to Indiana for Isaiah Jackson<\/a>, Bennedict Mathurin<\/a>, 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).\u00a0The Clippers also received a second-round pick this year and Darius Garland<\/a> from Cleveland for James Harden<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/a> Kawhi Leonard<\/a>? 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.<\/p>\n

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Clippers Other Decisions<\/h3>\n

Including Leonard, the Clippers have 13 players under contract for the upcoming season with a salary cap hit of $162.16 million. Bogdan Bogdanovic<\/a> ($16 million), Brook Lopez<\/a> ($9.18 million), Nic Batum<\/a> ($5.8 million), Jordan Miller<\/a> ($2.47 million), and Kobe Sanders<\/a> ($2.15 million) hold team options. Meanwhile, Bradley Beal<\/a> has a $5.6 million player option, and Kris Dunn<\/a> ($5.6 million) and Cam Christie<\/a> ($2.29 million) hold nonguaranteed deals.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cBennedict Mathurin can be made a restricted free agent,” Smith said<\/a>. “He\u2019s a terrific scorer, but has shown much more than that. If the Clippers feel they need his scoring, they could re-sign him.”<\/p>\n

\u201cA reasonable deal for Mathurin is something in the range of $50 million over three years,” Smith continued. “That\u2019s a touch over the MLE, but doesn\u2019t break the bank or drift towards being difficult to trade.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Collins<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

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What To Do With No. 5 Pick<\/h3>\n

The Clippers are projected to select a guard or big with their first-round pick: Keaton Wagler<\/a>, Brayden Burries,<\/a> Darius Acuff Jr<\/a>., Kingston Fleming<\/a>, Mikel Brown Jr<\/a>., and Aday Mara<\/a> being potential options.<\/p>\n

Speaking of Brown, according to\u00a0Jeremy Woo of ESPN<\/a>, 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.\u00a0 Woo Sai Brown measured and tested well and appeared healthy during his workout with the Jazz.<\/span><\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

However, Brett Siegel of Clutch Sports believes the Clippers will ultimately choose Wagler if they retain the pick.<\/p>\n

“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<\/a>. ” 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\u00a0LA Clippers\u00a0trading the fifth pick, but they are obviously open to hearing offers that come their way. Should this pick remain in the Clippers\u2019 hands, Wagler appears to be their top choice at this time.”<\/span><\/p>\n