Could the Clippers get another lottery pick?
The Los Angeles Clippers went 42-40 in 2025-26 and lost to the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament, while the Warriors finished just 37-45 themselves.
Neither team made the playoffs, and both are heading into an offseason with big decisions to make.
A new mock draft from Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz proposes a trade connecting the two teams.
The Clippers would send Kawhi Leonard and Derrick Jones Jr. to Golden State in exchange for Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski and the Warriors' No. 11 pick in the 2026 draft.
Why the Clippers Would Do It
Leonard just turned in one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists across 65 games while shooting 50.5 percent from the field.
He earned his seventh All-Star nod and was the reason the Clippers stayed in the playoff race at all.
But he turns 35 in June, is entering the last year of a deal worth just over $50 million and has not committed to staying in Los Angeles.
The front office already started a youth movement at the trade deadline when it shipped out James Harden and Ivica Zubac, bringing back Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin and draft picks.
Moving Leonard would push that reset even further.
The return here brings real upside.
Podziemski played all 82 games this season, averaging 13.8 points and 5.1 rebounds as a 23-year-old with three years of team control left.
Pairing the No. 11 pick with the No. 5 selection the Clippers already own would give the front office two lottery picks in a loaded draft class, and the roster needs help at both guard and center heading into next season.
Why They Should Pass
The biggest problem is Butler.
He averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists across 38 games before tearing his ACL on January 19 against Miami, ending his season.
He is 36, owed $56.8 million for next year and will not be ready to play until well into the 2026-27 campaign.
Taking on that contract while trying to rebuild does not add up unless the front office plans to flip his expiring deal later.
There is also what the Clippers would be walking away from.
Leonard was the engine of this team, and the Clippers posted a plus-7.5 net rating with him on the floor compared to minus-6.3 without him.
Trading a player coming off a career year while the roster'ssW2 direction remains unsettled is tough to justify, even with the extra draft picks.
A Decision That Will Shape the Summer
Whether the Clippers keep Leonard or trade him, this offseason will set the direction of the franchise for years.
Podziemski and two lottery picks would speed up a rebuild, but the team would also be betting that Butler's deal can be moved and that whatever they draft will replace what Leonard gave them.
It is a real swing and one the front office needs to weigh carefully.
