New Options for the Clippers' No. 5 Pick Emerge After Pre-Draft Workouts

The Los Angeles Clippers don't seem any closer to making a decision on who to draft with their first-round pick.

Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) reacts after scoring a three-point field goal against the Purdue Boilermakers during a NCAA Tournament game Saturday, March 28, 2026 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. Purdue fell to Arizona 79-64. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We are only five days away from the 2026 NBA Draft, but the Los Angeles Clippers are keeping their options as open as ever. Armed with the No. 5 pick, the Clippers have one of the most fascinating decisions to make in the draft. The recent reporting suggests that they are doing their due diligence and refuse to hone in on any one prospect so far.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Wednesday that the Clippers are not considering trading their pick for a veteran. Instead, they are "deep in draft workouts with almost every prospect that is regarded to be part of the tier behind the foursome almost universally to go 1-2-3-4."

Even though the Clippers are unlikely to trade their pick for a veteran, trading down in the draft shouldn't be ruled out, especially after some of the pre-draft workouts.

Entering this week, Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr. were considered to be the frontrunners to be the Clippers' selection. Fischer added a few more names to this list in his reporting.

Chances of Trading Down Increase After Clippers' Recent Draft Workouts

Not only did he mention Darius Acuff Jr. under names "very much under consideration," along with Brown and Wagler, but he also reported how impressive Brayden Burries was in his workout with Clippers head coach Ty Lue on Tuesday. According to Fischer, this pushed Burries into the conversation to be LA's pick.

On Wednesday, the Clippers had Tennessee forward Nate Ament in for a workout. According to Fischer, Ament has also drawn some interest from the Clippers at No. 5.

This paints a more complicated picture than what Clippers fans had in mind going into the draft. Between Acuff, Wagler, Brown, Burries, and Acuff, there are five prospects who are all going to be available for the Clippers when they are on the clock.

Of course, there is a benefit to the Clippers' signaling that they are interested in more prospects than they actually are. This could all be a smoke screen to gauge the trade market for the No. 5 pick. If the Clippers give the impression that they are going to take Burries or Ament, maybe a team interested in them will be willing to give up significant assets in a potential trade.

Perhaps GM Lawrence Frank and Ty Lue are actually undecided. If that's the case, bringing in as many prospects as possible for a visit is the correct process. Clippers fans have to hope that the process results in selecting a future star.