The Los Angeles Clippers Never Made The NBA Finals Despite Spending Over $1.5 Billion Since 2000

• The Los Angeles Clippers are one of seven NBA franchises that have never won an NBA championship

• The Los Angeles Clippers have held both the lowest and highest annual salary amount in the NBA since 2000 for a specific season

• The Los Angeles have never appeared in an NBA Finals series and they have appeared in one Conference Finals in 2021 in their team’s history

The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the worst-run organizations in the NBA. It is a tale as old as time when it comes to the Clippers, who have been the brunt of jokes for at least as long as I have been alive. The Clippers were destined to have a tough road considering they have always remained in a “little brother” role when it comes to their much more successful Los Angeles counterpart, the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Sure, there have been seasons that the Clippers went further in the NBA playoffs or had a better regular season record, but somehow, they have always managed to blow their best chances in the most embarrassing fashion, or they have just been flat-out unlucky. Today, as we take a deep dive into every Clippers season since 2000, we will take a look at how much money the Clippers have had to work it, how wisely or not they used those funds, and what the results were for that season. If you remember, we recently did this with the New York Knicks and broke down their bad spending habits as well.

This is that information and those results in its entirety for the Los Angeles Clippers.

1999-00 Season – $22,489,343

Starting things off in the 1999-00 season, the Los Angeles Clippers would have the lowest payroll in the NBA, falling just shy of $22.5 million for the season. Second-year center Michael Olowokandi would be the team’s highest earner that season, making just under $3.5 million. For that price tag, Olowokandi would average 9.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. That was almost as good as it got for Olowokandi in a Clippers uniform.

On a team level, the Clippers were absolutely horrible, going 15-67 overall with the league’s worst offense and defense taking the court. Lamar Odom, Derek Anderson, and Maurice Taylor would be the standouts for the Clippers that season, all averaging over 16.0 points per game and earning a combined $5.5 million. The 199-00 season was one to forget for Clipper nation, but the misery was far from over with their franchise.

2000-01 Season – $29,606,189

The Clippers would once again rank last in the NBA in player salary in 2000-01, sporting a payroll worth just under $30 million. This time, they would have two players making over # million on their roster, Michael Olowokandi and Derek Strong. Olowokandi would play all 82 games averaging just 8.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Strong would play only 52 games and averaged 4.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

As a team, the Clippers were better in 2001, more than doubling their win total from 2000 with 31 wins and 51 losses. It wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs, but it did look like, with a few tweaks, they could be headed there sooner rather than later. Once again, Lamar Odom was the Clippers’ leading scorer averaging 17.2 points per game while making just over $2.6 million. Jeff McInnis and Eric Piatkowski were the only other players to average more than 10.0 points per game in the 2000-01 season.

2001-02 Season – $33,849,932

For the third season in a row, the Clippers would come in with the lowest payroll in the NBA, dishing out just $33.85 million in payroll. Olowokandi was once again their leading earner, making just over $4.6 million. He would improve a bit across the board that season as well, with 11.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Also joining the roster this season would be Elton Brand, who L.A. landed in a trade with the Bulls for Tyson Chandler and Brian Skinner. Brand would be an All-Star in 2001-02, averaging 18.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. He would also earn the second-most money on the team at slightly over $3.8 million.

The team would again improve their win total and finish just four games under .500 at 39-43 on the year. Along with Brand and Olowokandi, Lamar Odom and Jeff McInnis would also average at least 10.0 points per game on the season to help the Clippers compete for most of the year. For reference in payroll discrepancies, the Knicks led the NBA with a payroll of over $85 million in 2002, $52 million more than the Clippers had available to them.

2002-03 Season – $42,955,777

With a total payroll of just under $43 million for the 2002-03 season, the Clippers would rank dead last in the NBA once again for the fourth straight season. Michael Olowokandi and Elton Brand would earn the most for the Clippers for the second straight year. Olowokandi would make $6.1 million on the season while Brand earned $4.9 million, with Derek Strong being the only other Clippers player to make over $4 million in 2002-03.

As a team, the Clippers would take a step back as far as their overall record. They would manage to win just 27 games compared to 55 losses and finish with the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Brand would lead all scorers with 18.5 points, along with 11.3 rebounds per game. Young Star Corey Maggette would add 16.8 points per game, and Odom would finish off the team leaders with 13.6 points per game. Unfortunately for L.A., it would be another playoff-less season for the other Los Angeles team.

2003-04 Season – $39,114,363

For the first time since 2000, the Clippers would not have the lowest payroll in the NBA. They would finish 28 out of 29 teams in that regard, finishing $4.4 million ahead of the Utah Jazz. With Olowokandi out the door, a new era was upon us in Los Angeles. Elton Brand would take over the first spot as the team’s top earner with a $10.96 million payroll for the 2003-04 season. Right behind him would be Corey Maggette with a $7 million contract and Predrag Drobnak with a $2.5 million deal.

The changes did very little to move the needle for the Clippers in either direction. For the 2003-04 season, they would finish with a 28-54 record, missing the playoffs yet again and disappointing Clippers fans everywhere. The lone bright spots for the team were their two 20.0 points per game scorers on the season. Corey Maggette would lead the team with 20.7 points per game, while Brand was right behind him with 20.0 points per game. Quentin Richardson would also add 17.2 points per game which was enough to rank them as the 11th-best offense in the NBA. Unfortunately, they also had the 27th-ranked defense, which will always offset great offense.

2004-05 Season – $45,483,265

As we entered the 2004-05 season, the Clippers began to rise in the NBA just a bit when it comes to payroll as the 26th-highest in the game at this point. Brand continued to be the Clippers’ top-paid guy with a deal that paid him $12.1 million for the season. Maggette was still top-three on the team with his $7 million salary, but there was a new face in second. Kerry Kittles came over from the Nets in a trade that paid him $9.6 million for the season.

Unfortunately, that money for Kittle would have been much better spent elsewhere. Kittles would only play a total of 11 games off the bench while averaging less than 6.5 points per game. Brand and Maggette would once again lead the scoring for the Clippers in 2004-05, leading them to a 37-45 record and another missed playoffs. Maggette led all scorers with 22.2 points per game, while Brand added 20.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

2005-06 Season – $51,358,645

The 2005-06 season saw the Clippers rise slightly in payroll again, as they now had the 25th-highest payroll during the season. Once again, it was Brand leading the way financially with a $13.1 million salary on the year. The Clippers would also pay Maggette his $7 million and took on Cuttino Mobley for $7.2 million. Point guard Sam Cassell would also make in the neighborhood of $7 million with a salary of $6.86 million in 2005-06.

As a team, they would finally break through in a big way and head toward the NBA playoffs. It would be Brand with a monster season leading the charge averaging 24.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. Cassell would also contribute with 17.2 points and 6.3 assists per game. The Clippers would win 47 games on the year and dominate their first-round matchup with the Denver Nuggets, winning in five games. Unfortunately, that is where the fun would stop for the Clippers as they fell to the Suns in a tight 7-game series in the second round. Despite the loss, Clippers fans were finally encouraged by their future, but that hope didn’t last long.

2006-07 Season – $59,181,038

The Clippers would see another increase in payroll in 2006-07 to over $51.1 million and the 23rd-highest payroll in the NBA. Elton Brand saw his salary increase yet again and was now being paid $14.25 million in 2006-07. Cuttino Mobley was right behind him with a $8.13 million deal, and Maggette rounded out the top three with his $7 million. Sam Cassell and Tim Thomas were the only other two players to earn over $5 million that season as well.

As a team, the Clippers would suffer yet another setback. The team would finish under .500 at 40-42 after making a decent playoff run in 2005-06. In 80 games, Brand would average 20.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game to once again stake his claim as the Clippers’ best player. Maggette was the only one close to matching Brand’s production with 16.9 points per game in mostly a bench role. For the Clippers, the setback was disappointing, but there would be alight at the end of the tunnel soon enough.

2007-08 Season – $64,847,945

For the first time since we began this piece, the Clippers would rank top 20 in payroll for the 2007-08 season. With their 19th-ranked payroll, the distribution became a little more spread out amongst the Clippers. Brand was still their highest-paid player with a %15.35 million salary. Chris Kama received a significant raise and earned $8.6 million on the season. Once again, Cuttino Mobley would round out the top three with his $8.35 million. Corey Maggette, Tim Thomas, and Sam Cassell would all earn over $5.5 million that season as well.

The increase in salary seemingly did nothing for the Clippers on the court, and in fact, it made them much worse. Just eight games into the year, Elton Brand would go down with a season-ending injury, and it would be the last time he ever suited up for the Clippers in his career. The team would suffer tremendously in his absence, winning only 23 games with absolutely zero hope for a return to the NBA playoffs yet again. With an increase in playing time, Corey Maggette once again became a 22.1 points per game scorer, while Chris Kaman provided 15.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game as a starter.

2008-09 Season – $62,764,206

With a rebuild of their roster completely in 2008-09, the Clippers would fall all the way back down to the 28th spot in terms of highest payrolls in the league. The team would add Zach Randolph, Baron Davis, and Marcus Camby, all of whom came with a contract of $10 millionaire more. It would be the first time ever that three players on the team earned more than $10 million in the same year. Randolph led all earners with a $14.6 million salary, while Davis commanded $11.25 million, and Camby came in with an even $10 million salary.

Somehow, the dip in money spent while adding more talent did not help their cause on the court. Zach Randolph and his monster contract would play just 39 games in total after coming over in a midseason trade with the Knicks. Randolph would never play for the Clippers again. At 19-53, the Clippers missed the playoffs despite Al Thornton’s 16.8 points per game and Eric Gordon’s 16.1 points per game. The chemistry issues and continuity issues led to more dysfunction in Clippers land.

2009-10 Season – $61,616,409

The 2009-10 season would see the Clippers take another slight rise in the payroll department with the 25th-highest payroll for the year. Baron Davis would take over as the highest-paid player on the team with a $12.15 million salary for the season. Chris Kama would come in just behind him with a $10.4 million contract, while no other player earned more than $5 million. They were also paying rookie Blake Griffin just under $5 million, but he would sit out the entire season with an injury.

The results on the court were better than 2008-09 but still not good enough by NBA standards. Their 29-53 record would be the way the Clippers kicked off the decade, much like they had spent the previous one. Chris Kamamn would lead all scorers with his 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Baron Davis was also solid at point guard with 15.3 points, 8.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Unfortunately, their solid play had little to no effect on the teams as a whole, and their misery continued into the 2010s.

2010-11 Season – $53,225,329

The 2010-11 season would see the Clippers make their way back to the last-place spot in terms of payroll, dishing out just $53.2 million on the season. Clearly, they were gearing up for a spending spree in the future, but for now, it looked hopeless. Chris Kama remained the only player to earn over $10 million with a salary of $11.8 million. Maurice Williams would make $9.3 million, and Blake Griffin would earn $$5.3 million.

Griffin earned every cent of his contract with a Rookie of the Year campaign averaging 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game to lead the team. Eric Gordon would also step up in a big way averaging 22.3 points per game on the season. Unfortunately for the Clippers, Griffin and Gordon’s output was not supported enough as they went 32-50, missing the playoffs once more. The difference was, there was more hope for the future than ever before with Griffin healthy, leading to a massive reconstruction of their team in the next few seasons.

2011-12 Season – $67,333,389

In the offseason of 2011, the Clippers would make a big splash by acquiring Chris Paul in a trade with the Hornets and adding some very much-needed veteran help. Paul would be the Clippers’ highest-paid player, to no surprise, with a salary of $16.4 million for the 2011-12 season. DeAndre Jordan would be right behind him with a $10.1 million deal, and Maurice Williams would round out the top three with a $8.5 million salary. Caron Butler was on the outside looking in with an $8 million salary as well.

The investments would pay off for the Clippers in their first season as “Lob City” took over the NBA world. In a shortened 66-game season, they would win 40 games led by their new star duo of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Paul would help lead the Clippers with 19.8 points, 9.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. Griffin would add 20.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. The playoffs would be promising as well, with a first-round win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Unfortunately, they met their ill-fated outcome in the second round as they were swept in four games by the San Antonio Spurs.

2012-13 Season – $69,152,721

For the first time since we began covering their 1999-00 season, the Clippers would now enter the top 10 in payroll at just over $69 million. Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan would once again lead the team in pay, with Paul earning $17.8 million and Jordan earning $10.5 million. Lamar Odom and Caron Butler would also each make north of $8 million, while Blake Griffin also took home $7.2 million.

It was another successful season for the Clippers, who finished with 56 wins and won the Pacific Division. All three of Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, and Blake Griffin would average over 16.0 points per game, with Griffin leading the way at 18.5 points per game. The Clippers would make the playoffs but meet a disappointing end in a first-round series loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in six games. Unfortunately, disappointment would be the theme for the Clippers up to the present day.

2013-14 Season – $73,049,774

The Clippers would earn their highest standing in terms of payroll during the 2013-14 season. Their $73 million payroll ranked seventh in the NBA, led by their Big 3, who were locked up for the future. Chris Paul remained the team’s highest-paid player, with a salary of $18.7 million. Blake Griffin received a hefty raise, making just over $16.4 million for the season. DeAndre Jordan earned slightly under $11 million as well, meaning the Clippers invested over $46 million into their core three players.

The investment seemed to pay off for a little bit as the Clippers would win 57 games and cruise to another playoff berth and a division title. Griffin was the lead player for the Clippers with 24.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Paul averaged a double-double with 19.1 points and 10.7 assists per game as well. In the NBA playoffs, the Clippers would take down the Golden State Warriors in seven games in the first round. Once again, their season would come to an end in the second round at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Another second-round loss in the playoffs left the Clippers perplexed as to what to do next despite adding Doc Rivers as a coach and a solid core to build around.

2014-15 Season – $85,259,447

In the 2014-15 season, the Clippers’ payroll would balloon to over $85 million, earning them the second-highest payroll of the season. Chris Paul would become the first Clippers player to ever earn $20 million in a season with his $20.1 million salary. Blake Griffin would earn over $17.6 million as well, and now, DeAndre Jordan was earning $11.4 million. Others earning big money included JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford, and Spencer Hawes, who all made over $5 million for 2014-15.

Once again, the Clippers were headed to the NBA playoffs after winning 56 games in the regular season. They were led by Griffin’s 21.9 points per game and another double-double from Paul with 19.1 points and 10.2 assists per game. The Clippers would be in an all-out dogfight in the playoffs. In the first round, the Clippers would fight for seven games against the Spurs which they emerged victorious in. Unfortunately, they would be on the other end of that in the second round against the Houston Rockets. For the third consecutive season and fourth time in five years, the Clippers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.

2015-16 Season – $97,019,321

The 2015-16 season would see the Clippers remain as the team with the second-highest payroll at just over $97 million. Paul maintained his status as the Clippers’ highest-paid player as well, making $21.5 million for the 2015-16 season. DeAndre Jordan would overtake Griffin as the team’s second-highest-paid player, making $19.7 million, while Griffin earned $18.9 million. If keeping track at home, that is over $60 million for three players.

The 2015-16 regular season went about as well as the previous few seasons. The Clippers would win 53 games behind Blake Griffin’s 21.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. For the third consecutive season, Paul would add over 19.0 points and 10.0 assists per game as well. Despite their success, the Clippers would continue to struggle in the playoffs. In their first-round matchup against the Trail Blazers, just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and the Clippers lost in six games. It was yet another promising season cut short, and the Clippers’ faithful were growing increasingly impatient.

2016-17 Season – $114,756,766

Despite adding over $17 million in payroll in 2016-17, the Clippers would fall back to third in the NBA in player salary for the season. Both Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan were now leading the team, each with salaries over $20 million. Paul was earning just $1.7 million more than Jordan, while Blake Griffin also earned his first $20 million contract, making just under $20.1 million for the year.

Once again, the Clippers would win over 50 games with a 51-31 record, but no one was convinced until they started doing something of note in the NBA playoffs. The 2017 playoffs would not be that year. As the Clippers braced for the NBA playoffs, they were met with a very sneaky and very good Utah Jazz team in the first round. The Jazz completely took the Clippers off their game and went on to defeat them in seven games in their first-round series. Talent and money could only get them so far, as big changes were coming in the next few seasons.

2017-18 Season – $119,093,010

The Clippers would look entirely different for the 2017-18 season. First, Chris Paul was now gone after a trade sent him to the Houston Rockets. Once the season looked lost and the Clippers were headed for a rebuild, they also sent Blake Griffin packing to Detroit after years with the team and a spot as one of the greatest players in franchise history. This left DeAndre Jordan to lead the team in earnings with a $22.6 million salary. Danilo Gallinari would also earn over $20 million with the Clippers that season, while Tobias Harris got $16 million.

The season would be a wash for the Clippers, who were beginning to take their next steps toward being a formidable team once again. In the midst of all the madness, the Clippers managed to win 42 games and finish over .500 on the year. Unfortunately, just over .500 was not enough to navigate a tough Western Conference, and for the first time in a long time, they missed the NBA playoffs entirely. Soon enough, reinforcements were set to arrive.

2018-19 Season – $118,026,816

With an increase in the salary cap but a decrease in the talent that remained on the roster, the Clippers would fall all the way back to 19th in terms of player salaries for 2018-19. Danilo Gallinari once again led the team with a salary worth $21.6 million. The closest player to Gallinari would be Marcin Gortat, who was signed for $13.5 million, and Wilson Chandler with $12.8 million.

This was perhaps the best coaching job done by Doc Rivers during his entire tenure as Clippers coach. He would help lead the team to 48 wins and a trip back to the playoffs despite doubt they would even get close. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tobias Harris, who each averaged over 20.0 points per game, the Clippers faced off with the powerhouse Warriors in the first round. The Warriors would get tested but eliminate the Clippers in six games. As disappointing of an end as it was, help was on the way in superstar fashion.

2019-20 Season – $131,506,341

In the 2019 offseason, the Clippers would make the biggest splashes by signing Kawhi Leonard and trading for Paul George. At first, the deals seemed as if they were a guarantee of an NBA championship. Four years later and we are still waiting. George and Leonard would each command over $30 million for the 2020 season, with George earning just over $33 million and Leonard earning over $31 million. With two guys earning a combined $65 million, things better get better and fast.

The season would come to an abrupt halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted a restart in the Bubble environment at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. With Leonard and George each over 21.0 points per game on the season, the Clippers looked like favorites. However, that is not how the playoffs would unfold. George struggled, and Kawhi did as well as they advanced to the second round. After building a 3-1 lead in the series against the Nuggets, the Clippers would lose three straight games and get bounced early from another promising season.

2020-21 Season – $139,722,606

The 2020-21 season would end up being the best season in the history of their franchise. The team’s payroll would rank fourth in the NBA at just under $140 million. George and Leonard would each make over $30 million once again, with George leading the way at $35.45 million. The third-highest-paid player would be Marcus Morris at just over $14 million.

The season would go extremely well for the Clippers under new coach Tyronn Lue. The team would win 47 games out of 82 games played as they were led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George’s over 23.0 points per game for the season. They looked unbeatable in their first-round win over the Mavericks who they defeated in seven games. They would also defeat the Jazz in six games in the second round but lose Kawhi to a season-ending injury. This would cost them their first Conference Finals appearance in team history as they fell to the Suns in six games.

2021-22 – $192,905,421

The Clippers would take over the top spot as the highest-spending team in the NBA with a payroll that exceeded $192 million. George and Leonard were now earning identical max contracts of $39.3 million. That is significant, considering Leonard would miss the entire season with his knee injury, and George would play just 31 games. This season would be the worst possible way to follow up their Conference Finals appearance.

With Leonard out and George injured on a consistent basis, the Clippers limped to a 42-40 record which earned them a spot in the play-in tournament. They would lose that play-in game to the Minnesota Timberwolves and eventually miss the playoffs altogether. It was a tough pill to swallow for those that believed the Clippers could win an NBA championship, which is something we are still waiting for.

2022-23 Season – $192,905,421

For the second straight season, the Clippers would have the highest payroll in the NBA with the same total amount they put forth in 2021-22. Both Leonard and George’s salaries increased to $42.5 million despite the uncertainty surrounding their health. By the end of the season, fans and media members would be calling for their heads.

The season went as expected from the Clippers, with George missing 26 games and Leonard missing 30 games. The duo did enough while they were on the court to win 44 games and advance to the NBA playoffs. Unfortunately for them, the loss of George for the series was far too much, and they fell to Phoenix in six games. As they head toward the future, the Clippers have numerous questions that need to be answered, including how they spend their money and who they spend it on.

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