The Los Angeles Clippers failed to complete the greatest in-season turnaround in NBA history after they were eliminated from NBA Playoff contention with a 126-121 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 9-10 Play-In Tournament matchup. The Clippers finished the season over .500 despite having a 6-21 record at the start of December, which shows the franchise still has a great competitive foundation with star Kawhi Leonard and coach Tyronn Lue.
Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists over 2025-26, the best scoring year of his career. His performance was akin to any No. 1 option in the NBA, proving that the Clippers could still have a competitive future with Leonard as their franchise star. With rumors that Leonard might be headed to a new team in the offseason, a star acquisition might be the only way for the Clippers to convince Leonard to stay.
Given everything the Clippers have given up for the Leonard era already, it would make sense to make a last-ditch effort at salvaging their competitive relationship before moving on. In that vein, let’s look at some star players the Clippers could target with blockbuster trade packages in the offseason.
Michael Porter Jr.
Trade Details
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Michael Porter Jr.
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Derrick Jones Jr., Isaiah Jackson, 2027 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2029 First-Round Pick (IND), 2032 First-Round Pick (LAC)
Michael Porter Jr. proved to all his doubters that he’s always been an elite-level scorer in the NBA who needs his contributions valued on a winning squad. He won a championship as a starter with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, so he’s proven himself as a more-than-capable offensive contributor for a winning franchise. After a season where he got to showcase his full offensive arsenal, it would make sense for a contending team looking for a major swing to call the Nets and inquire about Porter Jr., who averaged 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds this season.
Porter Jr. makes $40,806,150, so the Clippers will need to construct a big package to accommodate his salary. This likely means they trade away starting forward Derrick Jones Jr. ($10,476,190), Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is expected to opt-in to his $16,020,000 option for next season, and center Isaiah Jackson ($7,000,000). Outside of Bogdanovic, the Nets could flip the other players for additional assets to make the Porter Jr. trade that much more worth it for them.
Porter would be the perfect offensive complement to Leonard. He is capable of scoring on all three levels and is one of the most proficient shooters in the NBA despite defensive coverage. He is willing to take every shot he can to help his team win, which might be a welcome change for Leonard after taking on a bloated offensive workload this season.
Ja Morant
Trade Details
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Ja Morant
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Darius Garland
The Clippers acquired Darius Garland in February, but the 26-year-old guard averaged 19.9 points and 6.4 assists in his time with the franchise. The Cavaliers had injury concerns around Garland, which proved to be true when Garland complained about playing the entire season with a toe injury after their elimination from the Play-In Tournament. While Garland fought through to stay productive on the court, the Clippers might have continued concerns over Garland as the long-term guard option next to Leonard. As a result, the franchise could look to make a blockbuster swing.
Ja Morant averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists last season, spending most of the season on the shelf as the Grizzlies embraced tanking early into the season. Morant has similar injury concerns as Garland, but is a more explosive guard option and a much better playmaker. Even if he lacks as a shooter, the Clippers have an offensive system where he could still find success, as all other options, including Leonard, can help stretch the floor for Morant and open up the paint for his ferocious drives.
Garland and Morant have identical contracts ($42,166,510), so this would be an easy trade for both sides to execute without worrying about cap consequences.
This would be a huge risk given Morant’s checkered history in the NBA, but this is the kind of swing that would make a difference for the Clippers. If Morant can re-establish himself as a star guard alongside Leonard on the Clippers, it might have the potential to have a much bigger impact than Garland, even if he suddenly finds a way to be healthy for over 70 games a season.
Lauri Markkanen
Trade Details
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz Receive: Bennedict Mathurin, Derrick Jones Jr., Bogdan Bogdanovic, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, 2027 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2029 First-Round Pick (IND), 2031 First-Round Pick Swap (LAC), 2032 First-Round Pick (LAC)
This trade will require the Clippers to agree on a sign-and-trade with Bennedict Mathurin in addition to the dumping of the Bogdan Bogdanovic contract in this deal to get under the first apron to make this trade work. Lauri Markkanen might be the most star-ready option on this list, having averaged 23.7 points and 7.6 rebounds on 47.7% from the field over the last three seasons with the Jazz.
The former All-Star might be a useful winning player next season, but the Jazz might have a roster problem in trying to fit Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. together. With the team taking on the responsibility of paying Jackson’s max contract over the next three seasons, they might find it easier to break Markkanen’s contract up into better-fitting rotational players who can help the team make a push for winning basketball again.
Mathurin averaged 17.4 points and 5.5 rebounds this season and would be a great scoring option for the Jazz. His sign-and-trade contract would need to be between $10 and 20 million to make this work.
Jones Jr. would fit in as a veteran win-now player to help the franchise find its form on the court again, with Niederhauser serving as a young big option behind Walker Kessler and Kyle Filipowski. Mathurin and DJJ are the key attractions in this deal, but the Jazz won’t ignore the four first-round picks they can get to move on from Markkanen right now. It might be an overpay, but it’s what the Clippers need to do for the Jazz to abandon the Markkanen-Jackson experiment without a competitive game played together.
Markkanen could be the full-time power forward next to Leonard, excelling with his ability to be an on-ball scorer as well as one of the most dangerous off-ball threats on offense.
Trey Murphy III
Trade Details
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Trey Murphy III
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Derrick Jones Jr., Cam Christie, 2027 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2029 First-Round Pick (IND), 2031 First-Round Pick Swap (LAC), 2032 First-Round Pick (LAC)
Trey Murphy III might not be the best individual player on this list, but he can be argued as the one with the most value and the most seamless fit into the Clippers rotation. Murphy has found success as a 3-and-D forward whose rapidly expanding offensive skillset makes him one of the few highly-touted available forwards in the NBA. The Pelicans have rebuffed trade offers for Murphy for multiple seasons now, but an offer that can’t be refused might be too much for the Pelicans to pass up on.
Keeping the same trade core we’ve used throughout this article won’t be necessary, as Murphy makes just $26 million. As a result, throwing the expiring Bogdanovic contract to them won’t be necessary. Jones Jr. provides a defense-first option at small forward who can form an athletic frontcourt duo with Zion Williamson. In addition, the Pelicans receive a young talent like Christie to develop alongside four first-round picks. Murphy averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game last season.
This would be a huge upgrade at small forward for the franchise. Murphy is far more productive than Jones and is a comparable defender, helping the Clippers have a stronger top-end unit for next season. The rotational pieces are replaceable through other means, and a player like Murphy in the frontcourt might give Leonard the best chance at recreating what he wanted the team to do when he had Paul George alongside him.
