Clippers Must Entertain Darius Garland Trade Offers After Landing No. 5 Pick

The Los Angeles Clippers' offseason outlook was completely altered when they landed the fifth-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Despite having less than 50% chance of receiving the pick from the Indiana Pacers, the lottery gods smiled on the Clippers. Now, LA will have its highest draft pick since Blake Griffin.

This obviously means that the Clippers can find a true future star. Only a few months ago, the Clippers had the oldest roster in the league and one of the bleakest futures in the NBA. Now, they have a chance at a very bright future.

This requires GM Lawrence Frank to nail the draft pick. The problem here is that almost every prospect mocked at No. 5 is a guard, and the Clippers have Darius Garland.

Odds of a Darius Garland Trade May Have Increased After the NBA Draft Lottery

Garland's presence shouldn't preclude the Clippers from drafting a point guard. Unless you are a championship contender, "best prospect available" is the right approach at the draft. It behooves the Clippers to choose the player highest on their board, regardless of position and fit.

At the same time, it makes a ton of sense to listen to trade offers on Garland.

The 26-year-old point guard has played well since arriving in LA at the trade deadline. Despite playing through his toe injury, Garland was highly efficient and productive, and helped the Clippers to one of the best offensive ratings in the league when he was on the court.

Yet, injury and size-related concerns are still present with Garland. There is a chance that he will leave his toe concerns behind and be healthy next season. But it is equally likely that this will be a nagging issue that has to be managed throughout his career.

Plus, at six-foot-one, Garland is a difficult fit at the highest level. He struggles to create good shots against long, physical defenders and has largely struggled in the postseason so far in his career. Defensively, he will likely always be a negative. With how physical and intense the modern NBA has gotten over the last couple of years, Garland may never be as effective in the playoffs as he is in the regular season.

This makes Garland somewhat expendable this summer. Add the fact that he is due $42.1 million next season and $44.9 million the season after, and the Clippers could come to the conclusion that paying Garland isn't the best use of their resources.

Especially when they will have plenty of potential star point guards to choose from in the draft.

Likely, all of Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff Jr., Mikel Brown Jr., and Brayden Burries will be available for the Clippers at No. 5. If LA really sees any of these point guard prospects as a potential superstar, this offseason may be a good time to try to trade Garland.

If there is a way that the Clippers can take back future draft capital and capable role players in such a deal, they would be wise to at least consider it. Whether Lawrence Frank & Co. feel the same way will be fascinating to track this summer.

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