All Options Are Seemingly On the Table for Clippers With the No. 5 Pick

The Los Angeles Clippers are entering the offseason with the best future asset they have held in a very long time: the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. With the top four of the draft seeming to have settled on a combination of Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson, the Clippers can have their pick among the rest of the draft class. With no prospect emerging as the frontrunner for the Clippers, a potential trade remains a possibility.

That is what Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor reported on Monday. He said that "the league sources widely expect" LA to listen to trade-down offers for their fifth-overall selection. The trade he proposed involves the Oklahoma City Thunder and their No. 12 and No. 17 picks, along with a player.

Clippers Won't Leave Any Stone Unturned With Their No. 5 Pick

That should certainly intrigue the Clippers. Since the draft is very guard-heavy after the top four, and that is not a clear need for LA, the Clippers could have some interest in trading down further in the lottery while still adding another pick and a veteran contributor.

Whether anything will materialize in trade talks remains to be seen, but this reporting highlights how everything is on the table for the Clippers with three weeks left before the draft.

GM Lawrence Frank has demonstrated an ability to think outside the box and pull off deals that no one expects. The Ivica Zubac and James Harden trades at the deadline were the latest examples of the Clippers' willingness to leave no stone unturned.

That will be how the Clippers' front office will approach the upcoming draft and the offseason. Obviously, the elephant in the room is the Kawhi Leonard situation. Everything the Clippers do this summer will depend on what the future holds for Leonard.

The league's investigation into the Clippers' dealings with Aspiration and Leonard is ongoing. We haven't heard an update about the extension talks between the Clippers and Kawhi. With only one year left in his deal, Leonard either has to commit to the Clippers long-term or be made available in the trade market.

That will determine the course of action for the Clippers. If Leonard is gone, perhaps it makes more sense to use the No. 5 pick to draft the best prospect available without worrying about the fit. If he stays, maybe it makes more sense to trade down or out of the pick entirely.

It's not a surprise that the Clippers are keeping their options open ahead of a crucial offseason. What happens with the No. 5 pick is anyone's guess at this point.

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