The Los Angeles Clippers were hit with the harshest penalty in league history for circumventing the cap to sign Kawhi Leonard to a max contract in 2019. The Clippers will pay $30 million in fines and lose five first-round draft picks, while owner Steve Ballmer, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and president of business operations Gillian Zucker all face suspensions.
Ballmer has already said he will fight this outcome, but for now, let's assume the Clippers — with a mountain of evidence against them and the Players Association in lockstep with the league office — will suffer under the weight of their wrongdoing.
The road ahead is difficult, but it's not like the Clippers can't recoup draft picks and build a brighter future. Even if it requires a few years at the bottom of the standings. Once it's finalized, the Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto will add two first-round picks to L.A.'s coffers. Meanwhile, these five trade proposals could bring more picks to Inglewood.
Clippers can trade Derrick Jones Jr. to the Pacers
T.J. McConnell is beloved in Indiana. He's still useful as an emergency point guard and situational defender, but he's under contract for two more years at $11.4 million AAV, with a team option for a third year. That contract could yield diminishing returns and, with Tyrese Haliburton back from injury, McConnell's role will shrink this season. The Pacers also have rookie Braden Smith, another diminutive table-setter, on a two-way deal.
If the Pacers want to turn McConnell's contract into a more helpful player on a team-friendly and expiring contract, Los Angeles can offer up Derrick Jones Jr. It's an obvious fit, as Jones' lob-catching and spot-up shooting would pair beautifully with Tyrese Haliburton in an up-tempo Pacers offense. Moreover, Jones is among the most impactful wing defenders in the NBA, with active hands (1.4 STL%) and impressive instincts as a weak-side rim protector (1.8 BLK%).
McConnell can provide leadership and stability in the Clippers' second unit, while L.A. recoups a 2027 first-round pick to help build up their future around Keaton Wagler.
Clippers can trade Rui Hachimura to the Spurs
The Clippers won the bidding war for Rui Hachimura, signing him to a one-year, $14 million contract with a 2027-28 team option. This trade would need to wait until Dec. 15 as a result, but Hachimura's contract is easily movable and there was a lot of interest in his services this summer. The Spurs stand out as a team that could use a knockdown shooter at the four spot.
Hachimura bears some similarities in role and impact to Tobias Harris, whom San Antonio signed to a comparable contract this summer. But there's no harm, really, in doubling down on an impactful archetype. The Spurs are overflowing with downhill guards and quality defenders. Hachimura can provide efficient, high-volume shooting, while any defensive qualms are mitigated by Victor Wembanyama's omnipresence. He might honestly be a slight improvement over Harris when rubber meets the road.
This is also a chance for the Spurs to dump the Luke Kornet contract — with three years remaining — after he was unplayable for stretches in the postseason. Los Angeles can afford to take on bad money if it helps rebuild their asset stores and improve their long-term outlook.
Clippers can trade Kris Dunn to the Thunder
Oklahoma City has the rare benefit of too many draft picks — as in Sam Presti literally cannot hope to use every first-round pick currently under OKC's control over the next half-decade. That means the Thunder can "overspend" on helpful, win-now pieces. The Thunder also cut ties with Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort and Isaiah Joe this summer, so there's room to improve their perimeter depth chart.
Are the Thunder overindexed on guards after this trade? Perhaps, but OKC has the defensive infrastructure to consistently put two or three guards on the floor. Dunn is a legitimate All-Defense candidate on the perimeter, severely underrated and due just $5.6 million next season on an expiring contract. He can slash and help run the second unit offense, too, whether he's paired with Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso or Jared McCain.
Los Angeles takes a flier on former lottery pick Nikola Topić, who has appeared sparingly in the NBA to date, but whose north-south, drive-and-kick style could pair well with Keaton Wagler in the long run. The Thunder also fork over a first-round pick, Denver's top-six protected, in what feels like a small sacrifice to fortify a top-two defense in the NBA.
Clippers can trade Brandon Ingram to the Kings
The Kings really shouldn't be mortgaging future picks for secondary "stars" at this stage of their rebuild, but never discount Sacramento's willingness to do something rash and inadvisable. Zach LaVine's $48 million expiring contract has become an albatross; Brandon Ingram is making a clean $40 million, with a $41.9 million player option for 2027-28.
In all likelihood, Ingram will exercise that option unless the Kings sit down and negotiate an extension. Despite his many flaws, Ingram is still 29 years old with multiple All-Star appearances under his belt. The Kings get a bit younger, swapping LaVine for a bigger wing who fits more naturally with Darius Acuff Jr., and who actually might be worth another contract. It's not hard to envision how Sacramento would justify this risk.
For the Clippers, eating LaVine's salary for a year and letting $48 million run off the books — while recouping a potentially valuable future first-round pick — is just about a perfect outcome.
Clippers can trade Darius Garland to the Heat
The Clippers swapped out James Harden for Darius Garland at the trade deadline, a move that in theory set them up for the future. Garland is only 26 years old and under contract through 2027-28, with ample time and incentive to work on a long-term extension. That said, the Clippers just spent the No. 5 overall pick on a point guard who struggles with physicality in Keaton Wagler. Garland and Wagler will struggle to coexist, and it's fair to wonder if trading Garland might help Wagler blossom into the alpha L.A. hopes he can become.
Garland's injury history and defensive shortcomings complicate his trade value, but he's still a phenomenal pick-and-roll orchestrator who can thrive in the right context. It's hard to imagine a better context than Miami. Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo would anchor an elite defense behind him, while Garland can set the table and organize the offense, helping Giannis and Adebayo both eat. Plus, Garland gets to work under the Heat's lauded strength and conditioning department.
For the Clippers, it's a chance to balance out the roster around Wagler, with Davion Mitchell providing elite on-ball defense and a physical, downhill scoring presence in the backcourt, while Andrew Wiggins can hit spot-up 3s and defend on the wing. Both become useful trade chips in their own right. Toss in a first-round pick, and L.A. ought to consider moving Garland and "blowing it up," so to speak.
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