What a weird season for the Los Angeles Clippers.
They started 6-21, only to rally and finish 42-40 on the year, traded James Harden to the Cavaliers, sent Ivica Zubac to the Pacers, saw free agent guard Bradley Beal play just six games, shut down point guard legend Chris Paul on his farewell tour, and, oh yeah, became the subject of alleged salary cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard, who coincidentally had the best individual season of his career.
Deep exhale.
That’s just a lot, however you decide to slice it. The Clippers basically always had something going on, making their late run all that more impressive, especially as they were incorporating Darius Garland, whom they acquired from the Cavs in the Harden deal.
With the Golden State Warriors knocking them out in the Western Conference 9-10 game in the play-in tournament on Wednesday, the Clippers now face an offseason in which they seek more stability and — hopefully — far less drama.
Maybe that’s a dream when you consider how often they find themselves involved in, well, something. But nevertheless, this is the offseason to swing for it.
2025-26 finish
Record: 42-40, ninth in the Western Conference. Lost to the Warriors in the play-in tournament.
Highlight of the season
Unquestionably, it’s the run after their embarrassing 6-21 start. They were dead in the water, and entirely written off — justifiably so given the strength of the Western Conference — and yet found a rhythm that put them into position to fight for a spot in the playoffs. While the effort ultimately failed, that was nevertheless an enormous display of quality basketball.
Players signed for next season
Kawhi Leonard
Darius Garland
Derrick Jones Jr.
Isaiah Jackson
Yanic Konan Niederhauser
Key free agents
Bennedict Mathurin (RFA)
John Collins (UFA)
Brook Lopez (team option)
Projected salary
$112,823,660
Projected draft picks
Nos. 36 & 53
Draft focus: The Clippers are constantly one of the oldest teams in the league, and even their young players are approaching their mid-20s. They need young blood, and both picks should be used to finding players coming off freshmen seasons in college to optimize potential.
There are a lot of unresolved contracts on the books in Los Angeles, making it difficult to project the Clippers’ financial situation. Mathurin’s cap hold of $27.6 million is heavy, and if the Clippers pick up Bogdan Bogdanović’s team option, that’s another $16 million added to the total. And that’s before even beginning to deal with Collins.
More than likely, they’ll act as an over-the-cap team and try to arrange their contracts so they have the availability of the non-tax MLE.
Needs and goals
What the Clippers need and what their goals are may not align perfectly. By pivoting off Zubac, they certainly need to figure out their long-term center situation and more than likely identify someone who fits the age bracket of Garland, 26. Does that align with their ever-present goal of winning a championship? Or are they instead going to opt for older players, once again, to try and satisfy an immediate want? With Leonard in the mix, it’s likely they’ll keep trying to contend — for better or worse.
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