Everything Clippers Fans Should Know for the 2026 NBA Draft: Picks, Targets, Rumors, More

The 2026 NBA Draft is right around the corner. The two-day event will kick off on June 23rd and will introduce the next generation of NBA stars to teams hoping to take a step forward. The Los Angeles Clippers are one of those teams, holding their highest draft pick since they selected Blake Griffin in 2009. Let's take a look at what this year's draft means for the Clippers.

Clippers Picks in the 2026 NBA Draft

Round 1: No. 5
Round 2: No. 36, No. 52

The Clippers are already one of the biggest winners of the 2026 NBA Draft. The draft lottery gods smiled on the Clippers when they awarded them the No.5 pick despite having less than 50% chance of ending up with a pick. As part of the Ivica Zubac trade with the Pacers, LA was owed a top-four protected pick from Indiana, and they ended up with the best possible pick they could have received.

LA's own pick at No. 12 will go to Oklahoma City as a result of the Paul George trade in 2019.

The Clippers also have two second-round picks, No. 36 and No. 52. Second-round picks are heavily traded on Day 2 of the draft, so the Clippers could certainly end up with fewer or more selections.

Clippers' Draft Needs

LA has an obvious need at center. Their lack of size, physicality, and rebounding proved to be too costly last season after Zubac's departure. Plus, Brook Lopez is aging and may be on his way out, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser will start the season injured. The Clippers will add a center or two this summer, and they could use the draft to do so.

The Clippers could also use more shooting. They weren't able to surround Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard with enough shooting last season. A perimeter player with a three-and-D skillset could do wonders for this team.

Since there is a ton of uncertainty around the Clippers, the specific needs are not too important. We still don't know whether Leonard will be on the team next season or if there is a desire to contend.

Therefore, adding as much talent as possible, regardless of the fit and the skill set, should be the most important thing.

Likely Clippers Targets in the Draft

The Clippers are reportedly looking into all of the guard prospects expected to go in their range. The 5-10 range in the draft is very guard-heavy, and per The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, the Clippers are keeping their options open.

The most likely pick with the No. 5 selection, however, seems to be Keaton Wagler of Illinois. An all-around offensive engine with good positional size who can handle the ball, pass, and shoot, Wagler is the most popular Clippers pick in mock drafts.

The Clippers hosted four guard prospects in pre-draft workouts this week, per NBA insider Krysten Peek. Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, and Brayden Burries visited the team, and we can expect that number to go up between now and the NBA Draft.

Another route the Clippers can take is drafting Michigan center Aday Mara. This would be considered a reach, but there is some reporting that LA is interested in the talented big man.

This means that a draft-day trade shouldn't be ruled out. The Clippers could trade down a few spots and acquire more future assets, while still landing their preferred prospect in Mara.

Rumors Surrounding the Clippers in the 2026 NBA Draft

Without knowing much about Leonard's intentions or the results of the league's ongoing cap circumvention investigation, it's difficult to have certainty about the Clippers' draft plans. Nothing should be ruled out, and the rumors surrounding the team reflect that.

NBA insider Kevin O'Connor reported on Thursday that the Clippers "aren't head over heels in love" with Wagler, which further opens up the possibilities.

There is plenty of buzz about trading down in the draft. Instead of adding another offense-first guard to pair with Darius Garland, the Clippers may look into trading out of their pick to accumulate more assets. Whether that would be for a win-now move or an asset accumulation trade, however, likely depends on Leonard's future.

There are reports around the league that the Bulls may be trying to trade up from No. 15 to have a second lottery pick. The Thunder are expected to move one of their two first-round picks at No. 12 and No. 17. Atlanta at No. 8 and Miami at No. 13 are generally considered potential trade candidates.

Other than Chicago, however, those teams may be eyeing a win-now move rather than the No. 5 pick. Rebuilding teams like Dallas (No. 9), Milwaukee (No. 10), and Sacramento (No. 7) may be better trade partners for the Clippers.

Add us as a preferred source on Google