The Clippers made a risky move in the middle of the season as they gave away Ivica Zubac in exchange for a top-four-protected first-round pick from the Indiana Pacers and other assets. 

Los Angeles entered the 2026 draft lottery with a 47 percent chance of obtaining a top-five pick or better, and they lucked out. 

Now that it has settled in and the NBA Draft is about a month away, the question now is what the Clippers will do with the fifth overall pick. After the top four picks, there is an array of guard prospects Los Angeles can choose from. 

NBA insiders Tomer Azarly and Brett Siegel discussed the various options the Clippers have in terms of who to pick. but also floated the idea of trading the pick as well. 

Azarly questioned whether or not the Clippers actually need a guard in this draft. While there's a wide group to select from in the place where they select, they could move away from the pick if they don't have a pick set in stone.

 “There's some chatter about the Clippers exploring all their options, whether it's going after one of these guards with their 5th pick, maybe it's trading down so they don't have to make the ultimate decision of who to select,” Brett Siegel said. 

Siegel also mentioned that trading the pick away can provide them with even more assets, which was the theme of the Ivica Zubac trade. A team like the Sacramento Kings could be a team that could be interested in trading up for a guard. 

After the departure of De'Aaron Fox, they have yet to solidify that point guard position. 

In return, Los Angeles would get back future draft picks and young players to build around, on top of a rookie they drafted after the fifth overall pick. 

The Clippers are in the very early stages of a rebuild. When you look at their roster, there is no question that their frontcourt has some holes to fill. And when you look at the bigger picture, a rookie guard would be a nice asset to have on your roster, but not a necessity. 

The Clippers brought in Darius Garland from Cleveland, who is just 26 years old and has a chance to be a true floor general for seasons to come in Los Angeles. He was a vital piece in the Clippers' surge in the second half of the season and can provide a lot of versatility already on offense. 

Garland averaged just under 20 points per game to go along with 6.4 assists, assuming the role of the franchise's lead guard as soon as he arrived in Los Angeles. 

The goal for Los Angeles for now is most likely to acquire assets to recover from previous moves they've made, so trading down from the fifth overall pick is a real possibility.