The 2026 NBA Draft will be a pivotal night for the Los Angeles Clippers as they hold the fifth overall pick. The Clippers entered the lottery with a 27.8 percent chance of being given the fifth pick, and now they have an opportunity to upgrade their roster with it. 

There have been rumblings about the Clippers weighing their options on what to do with the pick. There have been talks of them trading the pick for another prominent veteran, using the pick to bolster their backcourt, or trading down a few spots but staying in the top 10. 

ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel reports that nothing is final about the Clippers' decision on their pick, but they could look to stay in the top 10. 

"Multiple sources said the Clippers have yet to finalize any decision with the No. 5 pick, including the possibility of moving down slightly in the draft," Siegel said. 

"Although this scenario was deemed unlikely at the moment, league sources have been adamant that the Clippers want to remain inside the top 10 to add a high-level talent to their backcourt."

There are teams that are within the top 10 that could use a young guard on their roster, and they have the assets to trade for the fifth pick. The Sacramento Kings and the Dallas Mavericks are two teams that could use a young guard for the future. 

The Kings have not had much stability at the guard spot since trading away De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs. They have veterans like Zach LaVine and Russel Westbrook on their roster, but with the direction the franchise is going, they may be looking to get younger. 

The Dallas Mavericks are also in a similar situation. The Mavericks are in need of a young guard to pair with star player Cooper Flagg. Kyrie Irving has been out with a torn ACL, and this is a team is is not in contention to make a Finals appearance again soon. 

The Clippers can take advantage of these teams' situations, and they have the chance to get more assets before really entering a rebuild. Los Angeles could still be in a position to make a postseason appearance if they play their cards right this offseason. 

They could add a young player to make an immediate impact while adding veterans in free agency to round out their roster. While the Clippers aren't at a point where they're looking to win a championship this season, they can use this year to ease into an era without Kawhi Leonard.