The LA Clippers learned nothing. I'm into their summer anyway
The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder clashed in an epic Finals that showed the value of depth, youth, pressure, and pace. It was a violent, quick-twitch battle that also served as a crystal ball, revealing the league’s future.
The Los Angeles Clippers walked into summer, threw their coat over the crystal ball, and went all in on wisdom and age spots.
And I’m rosy with it! Because really, what else were they supposed to do? This team’s ceiling rests on the not-exactly-Atlassian shoulders of brittle superstar Kawhi Leonard. He wouldn’t return nearly as much in trade value as he’s worth to LA, and he proved last year that he’s still very-good-to-great when healthy (although he was more the former than the latter with Aaron Gordon draped over him like an itchy scarf in the first round of the playoffs).
The Clippers already needed regular Metamucil and don’t have the picks to start a rebuild through the draft. May as well double-down.
Let’s recap Lawrence Frank and Co.’s moves. The Clippers:
Re-signed James Harden to a very team-friendly deal that pays him $39 million this coming season but is only $13 million guaranteed in 2026-27
Brought back Nic Batum on a two-year deal (with a team option in that second year)
Traded away Norm Powell for John Collins
Brought Brook Lopez in on a two-year deal with a team option
Drafted big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser with the last pick in the first round (although if Summer League is any indication, he won’t be ready to contribute anytime soon)
Added Bradley Beal to replace Powell
Signed former captain Chris Paul
In short, they added depth and addressed a few pain points while maintaining maximum roster flexibility for the summer of 2026 and beyond. That’s solid work!
Batum is an ageless 3-and-D wonder, a high-IQ player who doesn’t score much anymore but guards like someone a decade younger. Teams are starting to take advantage of his reluctance to shoot, but even the boldest defenders can’t start too far from someone who canned 43% of his triples last season.
The Powell/Collins swap is a fascinating one inextricably linked to the Beal signing. The Clippers haven’t had a real innings-eater power forward in several seasons. Collins isn’t quite as athletic as he was in his prime, but he shot the ball exceptionally well last season and has been a plus defender in his career before (don’t look at his Jazz footage). He is a serviceable starter, and while that might sound like damning with faint praise, it allows the Clippers to avoid playing small too often.
Further bolstering their size, Los Angeles addressed an immediate need by bringing in Brook Lopez to back up Ivica Zubac. This is huge (literally and figuratively) for several reasons. Lopez was quickly aging out of being a good starter, but few centers combine volume three-point shooting and shotblocking like he does. Lopez should be more effective in fewer minutes. The non-Zubac lineups were problematic last season; Lopez is an excellent short-term fix while the team explores if they have anything in the raw rookie Niederhauser.