2 Winners and 2 Losers from the Clippers' Draft

The 2026 NBA Draft is officially in the books. Now, it's time to focus on free agency and the trade market. LA's decision to stand pat and draft Keaton Wagler with the No. 5 pick has signaled a clear intention of their plans moving forward. While some players on the roster will benefit from this, there will also be ones who will be worse off. Let's take a look at some of the winners and losers following the Clippers' draft.

Winner: Brook Lopez

The Clippers have yet to make a decision on the $9.1 million team option on Brook Lopez. Based on his performance from last season, the 38-year-old big man isn't worth that salary. However, the Clippers currently don't have an alternative at center. The draft didn't change that reality.

As things stand now, the Clippers desperately need Lopez. He is projected to be the team's starter over Isaiah Jackson and Yanic Konan Niederhauser. This makes it more likely than not that LA will pick up his team option.

Of course, the Clippers can bring in another center, but the free agent class for big men is bereft of starting talent. Mitch Robinson and Rob Williams are the only quality options there, but whether they are in the Clippers' price range is unclear. There could be trade opportunities to add a center, to be sure, but even then, the Clippers may want to keep Lopez around, given the fact that Niederhauser will be coming off an injury.

Winner: John Collins

The same is true for John Collins as well. The unrestricted free agent is more likely to stay in LA than he was before the draft. Sure, the Clippers drafted power forward Baba Miller in the second round, but they still don't have a proven power forward on the roster besides Collins.

Given how big an issue size and physicality were for the Clippers last season, they can't afford to let Collins walk. If they had traded the No. 5 pick to bring in more frontcourt players, Collins could be on his way out, but now signs are pointing towards the 28-year-old's return to LA on a contract around the non-taxpayer midlevel exception.

Loser: Bennedict Mathurin

The same can't be said for Mathurin. Entering restricted free agency, Mathurin may get squeezed out after Keaton Wagler's arrival. With Wagler in the fold, there is almost no chance that Mathurin could be a starter in LA next season. His fit on a team with a Darius Garland-Wagler backcourt is highly questionable.

The Clippers need more defense, size, and physicality around Wagler and Garland. Mathurin doesn't provide any of that. He is a shooting guard who can't defend bigger players, making it difficult to play him at small forward next to Garland and Wagler. Plus, he is a poor off-ball player due to his struggles shooting the ball.

There is a chance Mathurin can play on his qualifying offer, a one-year deal worth $8.8 million. It's difficult to imagine the Clippers signing the 24-year-old to a lucrative, multi-year deal this summer.

Loser: Kawhi Leonard

If Leonard's priority is to contend for a championship with the Clippers over the next few seasons, the chances of that happening are lower now than they were before the draft. LA made the right decision to draft Wagler to be sure, but that doesn't necessarily make them a better team in the present.

Even though GM Lawrence Frank expressed his intention to build a winner around Leonard and Garland, the Clippers are also not rushing the process. If they really felt the pressure to win now, they would have more seriously considered trading the No. 5 pick for a veteran contributor.

Moreover, the fact that the Clippers and Leonard haven't agreed on an extension suggests that LA isn't willing to give the 34-year-old star exactly what he is looking for. Leonard is eligible for two additional years, up to $126.1 million. If the Clippers had put that on the table, one has to assume that Kawhi would have taken it by now.

This means that if Leonard wants to stay in LA, he has to accept less than his max extension and play for a non-contender. If he wants to contend, Leonard may have no choice but to force his way out, and we know how much he wants to be home in southern California.

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