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Reality is about to hit the Los Angeles Clippers hard. It’s hard to fault the Clippers for selling the farm to bring in Kawhi Leonard back in 2019. But their gambit did not work. All they have to show for Leonard’s tenure are three playoff series wins — and it cost them two-time NBA MVP and future Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the process since Leonard asked for a co-star, which ended up being Paul George, as his condition to sign with the team.
Leonard’s decision to join the Clippers in free agency seven years ago has proven to be quite catastrophic for the franchise in retrospect, especially in light of the events of this offseason. The NBA found them guilty of cap circumvention, with the Clippers having funneled around $28 million to Leonard in an under-the-table manner via a now-defunct company called Aspiration.
As a result of their transgressions, the Clippers will be forfeiting their first-round picks from 2029 to 2033. Making matters worse, the Clippers were headed for a rebuild to begin with, especially with Leonard going to the Toronto Raptors via trade. Losing their picks makes it so that it will be difficult for them to return to contending ways.
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Meanwhile, all Leonard got was a $700,000 fine, and he escaped the Clippers’ sinking ship by returning to the Raptors — a team on the rise, poised to compete in the East.
LA is not going to have control over their first-round pick until 2034. But they at least have a few promising young pieces who could thrive in a pressure-free environment.
With that said, here are a few bold predictions for the Clippers as they enter a challenging 2026-27 campaign.
Darius Garland stays healthy, represents Clippers in the All-Star Game
It’s a reflection of the sad state of affairs that is Garland’s health that him being healthy constitutes a bold prediction. But Garland spent so much time on the mend last season that it’s understandable if one were to be cautious regarding his health for this upcoming campaign.
Garland played in just 45 games last season, and during the 2023-24 season, he did play in just 57 contests. He was mostly healthy during the 2024-25 season, flourishing for an excellent Cleveland Cavaliers team, and that could be a reasonable expectation for what his production would be for the Clippers this upcoming season.
During that aforementioned campaign, Garland averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per contest while shooting 47.2% from the field and 40.1% percent from deep on high volume (7.1 attempts per contest). That was with him playing as the second option on offense behind Donovan Mitchell, and he should not have much competition for touches with the Clippers this season.
Brandon Ingram, the main piece the Clippers acquired in the Leonard trade, will be out for the start of the regular season after undergoing surgery to repair his partially torn Achilles tendon. Max Strus, Garland’s old pal from the Cavs, is out to begin the new campaign as well after suffering a foot injury in preseason. Bradley Beal is still recovering from his knee problem.
With that, it’s hard to envision too many players eating into Garland’s usage, at least to begin the season. Rui Hachimura could be that guy, but he’s not really the most self-sufficient offensive player. Keaton Wagler could eventually develop into a star in the NBA, but at just 19 years of age, a ton of growing pains is to be expected.
It’s not quite clear if Garland, with his history of toe injuries, which began being more serious during the 2025 NBA playoffs, can withstand the kind of high-usage role the Clippers will need him to play to at least put together a respectable product out on the court.
Nonetheless, if his health manages to hold up just in time for the Clippers to get reinforcements back, no one should be surprised if Garland averages around 23 to 24 points along with around seven assists per contest, all while smoldering from beyond the arc. And in a loaded West, Garland playing this well should warrant some consideration for an All-Star spot in Phoenix.
Rui Hachimura averages over 20 points per game, receives MIP consideration
Hachimura is about to enter the highest-usage role of his career. As mentioned earlier, the Clippers have a huge need for a scoring threat, and Hachimura should fit that bill quite nicely.
He was uber-efficient last season for the Los Angeles Lakers, and a lot of that came from sharing the court with three elite playmakers in Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James. But even against tighter defensive coverage in the playoffs, Hachimura showed that his scorching hot shooting in the regular season (51.4% from the field, 44.3% from deep) was no fluke.
In 10 playoff games, Hachimura shot nearly 57% from beyond the arc. While that is a ridiculously small sample size, it takes talent to shoot that well against the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder’s defenses.
With the Clippers, he’s about to be the second option on offense. His usage is about to be through the roof. And he’s still sharing the court with an All-Star-level playmaker in Garland, so he should still get a lot of clean looks.
In three preseason games, Hachimura averaged 17 points in just 19.3 minutes per contest. The 28-year-old is in for a big scoring season, and he should receive some MIP consideration out of the sheer increase in his scoring average.
Keaton Wagler nails down starting spot, makes All-Rookie Team
The Clippers elected to pick Wagler in the 2026 NBA Draft, passing up on Darius Acuff Jr., who looks like an absolute gem in preseason. Wagler will clearly need some time to blossom. If there’s anyone for Wagler to learn from, it’s Garland, who had his fair share of struggles during his rookie campaign as well.
But Wagler, at 6-foot-6, has all the tools to be an impactful player on both ends of the floor. The Clippers are banking on him to develop into a complete point guard, someone who can run the offense all while being able to cover his man well on defense as well.
At this point, the Clippers have to commit to Wagler’s development and let him take his lumps in the NBA. It will be rough at first; the 19-year-old out of Illinois will be shooting tour dates occasionally. But there’s no better way to learn the NBA than to give a rookie an opportunity to learn from their mistakes and allow them to come out stronger.
In a stacked draft class, Wagler should get enough playing time and should start to get into a groove the deeper he goes into his rookie campaign. This should be enough for him to find his way to an All-Rookie Team come season’s end.
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