Clippers' Isaiah Jackson Reveals Injury Return Timeline

Knock on wood, but the Los Angeles Clippers may be nearing full strength at the perfect time. With only two games left before the regular season, the Clippers are getting back their only injured player before the Play-In Tournament.

Isaiah Jackson, who has missed the last six games with an ankle sprain, revealed on Wednesday that he will be back on the court, either against the Warriors on Sunday or in the Play-In, per Clippers insider Janis Carr.

Isaiah Jackson, who has been dealing with a high ankle sprain, said he could be back either Sunday vs Golden State or the Play-in game
— janis carr (@janiscarr) April 9, 2026

Isaiah Jackson Will Give a Boost to Clippers' Frontcourt Rotation

This may not seem very significant at first, but Jackson plays a more important role for the Clippers than it seems. Besides Brook Lopez, he is the only center on the roster, giving the Clippers some rebounding boost off the bench. Jackson isn't a traditional center in terms of his size and length, but he makes a difference with his mobility and athleticism. Considering the dearth of options for the Clippers in the frontcourt, having one more competent body on the interior will do wonders for LA.

Since Ivica Zubac was traded and Yanic Konan Niederhauser suffered a season-ending injury, the center position has been a weakness for the Clippers. Lopez has been a starter since the trade deadline and is averaging 27.5 minutes per game. He has been better than expected, but he is 38 years old and has major weaknesses in his game at this stage of his career. Jackson is a different type of center who makes the Clippers faster and more versatile.

The Clippers play the Blazers on Friday for the most important game of the season. If LA wins in Portland, they secure the No. 8 seed in the regular season, giving them a big edge in the Play-In tournament. Since the Blazers have the tiebreaker over LA, a loss on Friday likely means that the Clippers will finish ninth and have to win two games in a row in the Play-In to clinch a playoff spot.

Jackson's presence would still help in those two games, but the Clippers hope that it doesn't come to that. By beating Portland on Friday, the Clippers would love to have a "win, and you're in" game in the 7-8 matchup against the Phoenix Suns in the Play-In. That will give them two chances to earn a playoff spot. Given that they are heading towards being fully healthy for the first time in a while, the Clippers should like their chances to earn a playoff berth.