LA Clippers' Biggest Offseason Needs Ahead of 2026 NBA Draft

Trading Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers was obviously a great decision, although it did leave a hole at the center position for the LA Clippers.

The Clippers hold a $9.2 million team option on Brook Lopez, although he's certainly not the long-term answer at age 38. Yanic Konan Niederhäuser was the 30th overall pick in the 2025 draft, yet is currently sidelined after undergoing foot surgery in March.

No. 5 overall is way too high to take Michigan's Aday Mara, perhaps the best true center in a center-weak draft. All options should be on the table for the Clippers, including trading this selection to a guard-needy team with an All-Star center.

2025-26 Record: 42-40

Draft Picks: 5, 36, 52

Center

Yanic Konan Niederhäuser's play was a big part of why the Clippers felt comfortable moving Ivica Zubac, but he suffered a Lisfranc injury shortly after the move and could be unavailable into next season.

Lopez is still under contract, but he'll be in his age-39 season. And John Collins is entering unrestricted free agency.

In other words, the Clippers desperately need a big man to at least eat up some minutes between the start of the season and Niederhäuser's return to play.

A Big Guard In the Draft

They could potentially address that need in the draft, but Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson will likely be gone when L.A. picks at No. 5, and the next available bigs would be a reach there.

On most big boards, the next several picks after the first four are guards. The problem for the Clippers is that they just acquired Darius Garland. Pairing him with another small one could be trouble (especially on defense).

So whenever the Clippers are on the board, they might have to focus on some of the playmakers with wing size, like Keaton Wagler (6'6"), Brayden Burries (6'5") or Mikel Brown Jr. (6'5").

Leniency

Of course, everything happening with L.A. now sort of seems to be on hold. For the entire 2025-26 campaign, it's felt like some kind of resolution to the league's Aspiration investigation was around the corner.

The potential penalties (assuming the NBA finds what it considers to be wrongdoing) could render the Clippers' offseason completely moot.