The Kawhi Leonard experiment in Los Angeles finally came to an end this offseason. After an investigation into the franchise and its underhanded ways of paying Leonard through a now-defunct company, the Clippers decided to trade Leonard away. In his wake are a handful of players and draft picks that will do little toward making this team a contender in the 2026-27 season.
Los Angeles is now in rebuild mode. Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac are all gone. Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler are the franchise cornerstones, for now. The Clippers don’t have much talent, and injuries are already starting to take their toll on the roster before it plays a minute.
BURNING QUESTIONS
What does a full season with Garland at the helm look like?
Garland appeared in 19 games for Los Angeles last season, and he was his usual self. The former Cavaliers guard averaged 19.9 points and 6.4 assists on 47.1% shooting from the floor. He improved the Clippers’ net rating by 9.9 points per 100 possessions on the floor. Various toe and foot injuries have limited Garland over the last couple of seasons, but he enters the 2026-27 season healthy and ready to lead this offense. Garland can be an effective point guard when given the opportunity. He ranked in the 63rd percentile in assist rate in his short stint as a Clipper, and he saw his points per 100 shot attempts improve to 117.7 after the trade. Up to this point, his career high in usage rate is 31.3% from his third season in the league, and that rate is right in line with his usage with the Clippers to end last season. Los Angeles likely won’t be one of the best offenses in the league, but Garland can put himself in position to have a big year now that he is fully in control of an offense once again.
Will health be any better for this version of the Clippers?
Absolutely not. In fact, injuries are already plaguing this team. During media days, it was announced that Brandon Ingram — one of the pieces in the trade of Leonard — had suffered a partially torn Achilles and that he would miss the start of the season. Bradley Beal will also likely miss time with an inflamed knee, just after a season in which he missed all but six games due to a hip injury. Center Yanic Konan Niederhauser is still recovering from an offseason procedure in his foot, and the newly acquired Max Strus suffered a partial tear of his plantar fascia in the Clippers’ first preseason game against the Golden State Warriors. Los Angeles still has bodies. Gradey Dick — another piece of the Leonard trade — is on the roster, and Kris Dunn, Brook Lopez, and Derrick Jones Jr. are all back as well. But injuries are already impacting this roster construction, and the depth does not look promising for the Clippers.
Can Wagler give Los Angeles any hope?
It has been a long time since Los Angeles has had a young lottery pick to build around. Wagler — selected fifth overall in the 2026 Draft — is the only hope the Clippers have for the future, but early returns have been varied. In the Las Vegas Summer League, Wagler averaged 18 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, but he did so on 38.6% shooting from the floor and 33.3% shooting from distance. Wagler isn’t exactly an explosive athlete, and there are concerns about his frame. None of that matters, though, as he is likely going to be tried by fire this season. Given the massive amount of injuries already plaguing this roster, coupled with Wagler’s draft status, he is in line for a massive workload as a rookie. He is 30-1 to win Rookie of the Year in a loaded draft class. There will likely be some growing pains for Wagler, and it’s difficult to project what he will be in both the long and short term.
WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: Under 30.5
