Keaton Wagler has a big target in mind.
Keaton Wagler carries the hopes of the Los Angeles Clippers on his shoulders as Los Angeles' fifth-overall pick, their highest draft pick since taking Blake Griffin first-overall in 2009 and with Wagler joining the franchise at such a critical time in the Clippers' history as they've engaged in a full rebuild of the team, he'll have a lot of expectations to deal with.
He certainly has the skills to rise to the challenge. An elite playmaker and 44.5% shooter for the field, Wagler's tools led him to a second team All-American selection for the 2025-26 season and he'll likely be asked to make an impact with the Clippers early on as a back court pairing with Darius Garland.
For most rookies, coming into the NBA can be a daunting experience and especially with the assumption that Wagler will have to be a key member of the starting rotation essentially as soon as he arrives, it would be natural to think that he would be at least somewhat intimidated by the league that awaits him.
A Confident Statement
But everything that Wagler has said in his media availabilities since he was drafted has indicated that he's a competitor that's ready to bring the fight to the NBA and prove himself worthy of his top-five selection and his newly-appointed franchise star status in one of the biggest markets in the league.
In fact, he already has one player in mind that he's the most excited to challenge on the court and it's certainly a lofty name that says a lot about what Wagler's mentality is like right now.
"When I get there, I can't wait to play against Kevin Durant," Wagler said (via HoopsHype). "He's one of the best scorers I've ever seen and being able to see that in person live and get to go up against him is going to be, you know, it's going to be a crazy experience.”
Wagler's Attitude
Calling out a future Hall of Famer and one of the best players of the modern era by name and saying that he's the challenge you're most excited to face is certainly a big step for Wagler to take, and it's exactly that kind of mentality that the Clippers need to see out of Wagler ahead of this season.
This will be a pivotal season for the Clippers as they roll out their new roster for the first time and everything that Wagler has said and shown at this point, he should prove to be a stellar headliner for a young and exciting team.
