3 Prospects Clippers Must Target With Their 2nd-Round Picks

With the 2026 NBA Draft lottery set for May 10, Los Angeles Clippers fans will be watching nervously to see whether they’ll receive the Indiana Pacers’ pick this summer. If the Clippers don’t end up getting lucky and landing the Pacers pick, fans should still be excited about the 2026 draft, as LA has two selections in the second round with picks 36 and 52.

This year's draft class is unlike any of the last several drafts, as not only does it possess top-end superstar talent at the top of the draft, but it also has a ton of depth well into the second round.

Below is a list of three players who could all be potential targets for Lawrence Frank and the Clippers front office in the second round.

Rueben Chinyelu, Florida

First up is 2025 national champion Rueben Chinyelu, who may still return to school and push for another natty with the Gators, but as of now, he is in the pre-draft process.

This past season at Florida, he averaged 10.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game while leading one of the sport's most dominant rebounding attacks.

In his junior year, Chinyelu took a massive leap from being a high-energy big man to one of college basketball's most dominant paint beasts. He showed great growth in his rebounding instincts, as his ability to read where the ball is going off missed shots is incredible.

Chinyelu also took big strides as a rim protector. These steps earned him the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award. His biggest strength is his physicality and strength, as Chinyelu is built like a bodybuilder. At 6-foot-11 and 245 pounds, he uses his size to dominate the glass and bully opponents.

Down the final stretch of the regular season, the Clippers struggled immensely with rebounding the ball and were outmatched regularly on the glass. Adding a 22-year-old Chinyelu, who is projected in the 40 to late 50s range, with the 52nd pick, would be a great way to give this team some rebounding juice.

Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s

There is no prospect that the Clippers should target more aggressively than the Red Storm's Zuby Ejiofor. The 2025-26 Big East Player of the Year and Big East Defensive Player of the Year was everything for Rick Pitino’s St. John's team this past college basketball season. He stuffed the stat sheet with averages of 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.2 steals while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and draining 30.5 percent of his threes.

For a while, many evaluators as a prospect viewed Ejiofor as an energy big, but this past season he put that to rest. His unique skill set blends guard-like skills with traditional big-man traits. He is a capable initiator from the top of the key and is only growing as a passer, making him someone who can play both the four and five at the pro level.

He checks so many boxes as a rebounder, defender, rim finisher, playmaker, and has a pro mentality that is bound to ease his transition to the NBA. If he’s on the board at No. 36, the Clippers can’t hesitate to draft him.

Richie Saunders, BYU

If it weren’t for a season-ending ACL, BYU’s Richie Saunders would’ve been a lock to be a first-round pick in my eyes, but now with injury concerns, his stock has taken a hit.

The senior guard averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 37.6 percent from three. Saunders' key trait at the NBA level will be his ability to shoot the three-ball, as he is great at relocating and shooting both off the bounce and off the catch. However, there’s way more to his game than just shooting. This past season, he took major strides as a playmaker, cutter, and rebounder, and has a natural leader personality that could help his transition to the league.

With the health concern now surrounding him, it’s unclear what his draft range will look like in the 2026 NBA Draft, but he could be a candidate for the Clippers with either pick 36 or 52.

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