10 Years of No. 5 Picks: What Clippers Can Expect in NBA Draft

The Los Angeles Clippers landed the No.5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, changing the fate of the franchise in a significant way. Their highest selection since they drafted Blake Griffin, the Clippers now have a chance to bring in a prospect with superstar upside.

But what can Clippers fans actually expect from that pick? What are the chances that LA will land a star? Let's take a look at the last ten years of fifth-overall selections.

Year	Player	Team	Notes
2025	Ace Bailey	Utah Jazz	Has star upside
2024	Ron Holland	Detroit Pistons	Elite defender, raw offensive player
2023	Ausar Thompson	Detroit Pistons	All-time defender, lacks offensive upside
2022	Jaden Ivey	Detroit Pistons	Injuries, off-court issues derailed career
2021	Jalen Suggs	Orlando Magic	All-Defense, elite two-way role player
2020	Isaac Okoro	Cleveland Cavaliers	Decent backup
2019	Darius Garland	Cleveland Cavaliers	All-Star point guard
2018	Trae Young	Atlanta Hawks (traded from DAL for Luka Doncic)	Flawed, All-NBA talent at his peak
2017	De'Aaron Fox	Sacramento Kings	Perennial All-Star candidate
2016	Kris Dunn	Minnesota Timberwolves	Defense-first, solid off-ball guard

Finding a Superstar at No. 5 Is Hard, but Clippers Can Find a True Difference-Maker

Since 2016, there have been three All-Stars selected with the No. 5 pick: Darius Garland, Trae Young, and De'Aaron Fox. None of these point guards would be considered among the best 15-20 players in the NBA, but they have a chance to make an All-Star team in any given year. All three players have significant weaknesses, whether it's size, defense, or three-point shooting, which limit their ceiling. This could tell us something about the type of stars you get with the No. 5 pick.

The rest of the list consists of varying degrees of rotation players. Interestingly enough, the list very clearly leans more towards defense than offense.

Ausar Thompson is arguably the league's most versatile defender right now. Kris Dunn has been one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the league for the Clippers. Jalen Suggs might be the best point guard defender in the NBA. Even Ron Holland and Isaac Okoro, who are a tier or two below in the league hierarchy, are very solid defenders. It's still early for Ace Bailey in Utah, but he flashed intriguing two-way potential as a rookie.

Besides Jaden Ivey, who was released by the Chicago Bulls before the end of the regular season due to his off-court troubles, there isn't a fifth-overall pick who was a total bust over the last ten years. Of course, players like Okoro and Holland aren't exactly what teams are looking for when they draft a player so high, but they are still useful role players.

When we go further back in history, there are fifth-overall picks like Mario Hezonja, Alex Len, Thomas Robinson, and Dante Exum, who are considered draft busts. But the recent track record at No. 5 should be promising for the Clippers.

Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, and Brayden Burries are the prospects most commonly mocked to the Clippers with the fifth-overall pick. Whether LA will end up drafting an All-Star caliber player like Garland and Fox or more of a rotation player remains to be seen, but it will likely be the most important decision GM Lawrence Frank has to make this summer.

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