The Los Angeles Clippers have gone through a remarkable twist of fate in the 2026 offseason. After failing to make the 2026 NBA Playoffs while owing their 2026 first-round pick to the OKC Thunder, many fans were worried about the franchise’s future. But the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery ensured that the Indiana Pacers‘ 2026 first-round pick fell out of the top five and into the hands of the Clippers, who acquired this pick in the Ivica Zubac trade.
The Zubac trade gave the Clippers two useful rotational players in Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson, but now it’ll also bring them a top pick in a loaded draft class. However, the Clippers are in win-now mode after an incredible season from Kawhi Leonard, where the 34-year-old forward averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
With rumors around Leonard’s future mounting, the Clippers could end all speculation by using the No. 5 pick to add a win-now star next to Leonard instead of a developmental project. The best available prospects at No. 5 are mostly guards, so the Clippers could move on from the pick and trust 26-year-old Darius Garland to be the franchise point guard now and in the future, while retaining Leonard and re-signing Mathurin in the summer.
Let’s take a look at the potential trades the Clippers could make with the No. 5 pick by primarily using expiring contracts on their roster.
RJ Barrett
LA Clippers Receive: RJ Barrett
Toronto Raptors Receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, John Collins (sign-and-trade), 2026 First-Round Pick (No. 5), 2026 Second-Round Pick (No. 36), 2028 Second-Round Pick (DAL)
RJ Barrett averaged 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists over the 2025-26 NBA season and 24.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. He’s proven his value as a two-way swingman in the NBA. He’s capable of leading an offense by himself on any given night while playing with strong defensive effort.
He might be another perfect addition next to Leonard to absorb the team’s scoring load on the wing. If the Clippers could supplement Leonard’s scoring by acquiring Barrett and re-signing Mathurin, it would solve multiple issues for the team over the regular season.
The Toronto Raptors won’t be keen on losing one of their key contributors in a season where they went to the Playoffs, so the Clippers have to make it worth their time. The team has a worrisome guard future behind Immanuel Quickley, who is considered to have one of the worst contracts in the NBA. The Raptors need a long-term solution at point guard to maximize the Scottie Barnes era, so moving Barrett for the No. 5 pick, where they could potentially select a prospect like Darius Acuff Jr., could be a tempting move.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and John Collins would be expiring contracts the Raptors could easily move on from in potential future trades to refine their core. Bogdanovic averaged 7.4 points last season, while Collins averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds.
Barrett would help the Clippers look a lot more menacing in the 2026-27 season than whichever guard they can select with the No. 5 pick to play behind Garland.
Jonathan Kuminga
LA Clippers Receive: Jonathan Kuminga
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, John Collins (sign-and-trade), 2026 First-Round Pick (No. 5)
Jonathan Kuminga might not have had a fantastic half-season stint with the Atlanta Hawks, but he proved he can make a winning impact. Kuminga averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in the regular season for Atlanta and 13.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in the postseason, reminding everyone why he has always been considered a high-potential forward in the NBA.
Unfortunately, he’s still stuck behind a crowded frontcourt rotation in Atlanta, which is why a move to the Clippers might be perfect for both parties.
The Clippers have the available opportunity for a frontcourt operator like Kuminga next to Leonard. The only hierarchy that Kuminga will be subject to is playing behind Leonard, with production likely being distributed evenly between him and Mathurin on the wing. Garland is the point guard, so he’ll naturally control the ball more, but Kuminga has a real opportunity to make a difference as a starting forward on the Clippers.
If the Clippers recognize that and allow the 23-year-old to finally realize his potential, it might be more valuable than whatever they get from No. 5.
The Hawks are in search of a franchise point guard after trading Trae Young for C.J. McCollum. McCollum is a free agent and might be gone as soon as July, so getting this pick helps them get their preferred choice of future guard instead of waiting and seeing who’s available at No. 8. This also allows them to potentially trade their No. 8 pick for future assets to further refine team-building around Jalen Johnson.
Trey Murphy III
LA Clippers Receive: Trey Murphy III
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kris Dunn, Yanic Konan-Niederhauser, 2026 First-Round Pick (No. 5)
Trey Murphy III should rank high on potential players to acquire for multiple teams around the NBA. Murphy III averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists last season for the New Orleans Pelicans, proving that he’s a highly productive two-way wing presence.
He would be the best fit alongside Leonard in the frontcourt out of anyone on this list, being able to effortlessly balance scoring and defensive production so far with the Pelicans. If given an opportunity on a winning franchise, Murphy III could emerge as one of the best forwards in the NBA.
The Pelicans will take on the expiring contract of Bogdanovic after the Clippers exercise his team option, but they also get two useful players alongside the No. 5 pick. Yanic Konan-Niederhauser’s breakout was halted by an injury, but the former first-round pick is still considered a high-potential center who averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds last season. Kris Dunn is a veteran guard who averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals last season, and would be a perfect mentor for Jeremiah Fears and whichever point guard the Pelicans select with the No. 5 pick.
The Pelicans don’t own a lottery pick in this draft despite being one of the worst teams in the NBA. A trade with the Clippers might be the perfect path forward for them, as it allows them to get an even-better pick than the actual No. 8 pick they sent the Hawks. Cementing a long-term backcourt partner for Fears instead of relying on Dejounte Murray might be the best move for the future of the Pelicans.
But if they value Murphy as a franchise cornerstone, a far more interesting trade might be on the table.
Zion Williamson
LA Clippers Receive: Zion Williamson
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kris Dunn, John Collins (sign-and-trade), 2026 First-Round Pick (No. 5), 2029 First-Round Pick (PHI)
Zion Williamson averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists last season, slimming down and proving to the NBA that he can be a high-level contributor over a full regular season without his body breaking down. While he’ll always be injury-prone, the Clippers are the best team in the NBA to manage that, given what they achieved with Leonard last season.
Williamson would fit into the starting power forward role perfectly, and have the best team he’s ever been on with Leonard, Mathurin, and Garland also on the squad.
Given Williamson’s price is more contentious, this formulation sees the Clippers send an additional first-round pick as part of a Collins sign-and-trade salary dump alongside Bogdanovic and Dunn instead of Konan-Niderhauser. The main appeal of the deal is the No. 5 pick, so if there’s a prospect the Pelicans would love to complete their backcourt of the future next to Fears, this could be a fantastic way to get it done.
The Pelicans also get to move on from Williamson after a seven-year tenure with the franchise. They can focus on building around Fears and Murphy III, while Williamson can move into a system that wants immediate winning results for the first time in his career. It’s a gamble, but if he can withstand the pressure, this could be a golden move.
