Ranking the bleakest NBA futures: It doesn’t look pretty for the Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers being stripped of five future first-round picks as punishment for the Kawhi Leonard cap circumvention scandal puts their future in a dark spot. Los Angeles is attempting to rebuild while being devoid of draft capital. That's a fool's errand at best. 

But what other teams have a bleak future, and are the Clippers truly worse off than anyone in the league? 

A few points to clarify, because lists like this are subjective. This list is essentially who I wouldn't want to be for the next five years. I prioritized teams that are unlikely to be competitive for the next five years and, toward the top of the list, teams that don't have any clear paths forward. As such, teams like the Denver Nuggets, who have an aging roster and limited draft picks, weren't considered because they should be at least competitive for the next several years. 

Without any further ado, let's dive into the five bleakest futures in the NBA.

5. Golden State Warriors

Key 25-and-under players: Yaxel Lendeborg, Brandin Podziemski and Will Richard

The Golden State Warriors have opted not to make any big moves to preserve their post-Stephen Curry future. Despite this, the reality is that the Warriors don't have a very bright future once Curry retires. Sure, they have all of their picks, but Yaxel Lendeborg, Brandin Podziemski and Will Richard aren't enough young talent to sustain success. 

Unlike other teams on this list, there are paths for Golden State to make this ranking look silly. Maybe they fork over some draft picks for a young co-star alongside Curry. Perhaps Curry keeps them afloat and continues to age like fine wine. They could get lucky and land a star with one of their draft picks.

None of these possibilities are that likely, and the Warriors' front office simply hasn't made good decisions recently. Thus, I'm expecting a rough stretch from the Dubs.

4. Sacramento Kings

Key 25-and-under players: Darius Acuff, Alex Karaban, Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell 

The good news for the Sacramento Kings is that they have all their picks along with a few from other teams. If they can find a franchise star, whether that be Darius Acuff or a future pick, they'll be in a decent spot. That's a big if, though. 

The bad news is that this franchise has a history of incompetence thanks to its hands-on owner, Vivek Ranadivé. Furthermore, Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine have limited to no trade value around the league, so they might be stuck with them.

All things considered, the Kings could be in a worse spot, and their rebuild is still young. Regardless, they have a long journey ahead of them to return to the playoffs. 

3. Phoenix Suns 

Key 25-and-under players: Jalen Green, Khaman Maluach and Koa Peat

The Phoenix Suns were a feel-good story last season, making the playoffs as the No. 7 seed. Maybe they can parlay that into another playoff appearance, but it's hard to see them improving much further with their lack of high-end trade assets, be it picks or players. When other young teams catch up, they'll be left behind, with no clear avenue to improve as they are devoid of draft capital. Unfortunately, this reality could sink in sooner rather than later.

Devin Booker is still a top-20-level player, but he is not enough for the Suns to thrive. At some point, you have to wonder if the lack of success in Phoenix will get to him. A future Booker trade would help the Suns recoup some draft capital.

Ultimately, though, over the next five years, the Suns feel destined to be defined by mediocrity before they are forced to blow it up without access to their own picks. That's a tough pill to swallow.

2. Milwaukee Bucks

Key 25-and-under players: Brayden Burries, Nate Ament, Ryan Rollins, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis and Ousmane Dieng

You'd think the Milwaukee Bucks are set up nicely for the future after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, right? Honestly, before sitting down to do this exercise, I didn't think the Bucks would make this list. However, as you can see from the chart, most of the picks Milwaukee got in the Giannis trade are deep in the future. The Bucks' lack of draft capital in upcoming years is thanks to the all-in approach they made to support Giannis. 

To make matters worse, the Bucks don't have much high-end young talent. Intriguing is the word I'd use to describe Milwaukee's young core. Rookies Brayden Burries and Nate Ament are unknown but have strong upside. Ryan Rollins, Kel'el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are all solid young players, yet not future stars. Kasparas Jakučionis and Ousmane Dieng have some level of upside but are unproven. Tyler Herro has aged himself out of young core status, and while he's a one-time All-Star, on a great team he's probably a sixth man. 

If you want the Bucks to be higher due to this intriguing collection of talent, that's fine. But teams like the Suns are more likely to have some competitive years. 

Besides not having a lot of upcoming picks, the poor contracts to Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma and Gary Trent Jr. will hurt their flexibility. At some point in the 2030s, the Bucks will likely return to relevance, but that's a long way from now. 

1. Los Angeles Clippers

Key 25-and-under players: Keaton Wagler, Jordan Miller, Kobe Sanders and Yanic Konan Niederhauser

Surprise, surprise, the Clippers claim the top spot. Brandon Ingram and Darius Garland are fringe top-50 players, but their flaws and injury problems limited their trade value. Even as is, it's unclear whether the Clippers can make the Play-In tournament, and they don't have a clear pathway to improving. 

Perhaps Wagler becomes a true star; that could change things to some extent. But if not, the Clippers will be stuck toward the cellar of the West with no way to change their fortunes. And even if Wagler reaches his top possible outcome, the Clippers will have trouble surrounding him with talent.  

Free agency is technically a pathway to improving, but fewer and fewer stars are hitting the open market these days. The Clippers wanted to rebuild after trading Kawhi (in principle), James Harden and Ivica Zubac; now they're stuck in the worst possible spot: a rebuilding team with virtually no picks and no clear star. 

What's more disheartening is that the Clippers only got one conference finals appearance out of the Kawhi era, and they already mortgaged their future (trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a slew of picks) for Paul George. Honestly, nobody can blame Clippers fans if they decide to look for a new team; this is an incredibly dark situation.

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