The Los Angeles Clippers are entering a new era with a retooled roster and a front office determined to prove that the franchise can compete without relying on superstar talent alone.
The Los Angeles Clippers will be one of the youngest teams in the Western Conference when the 2026-27 season tips off, and the front office is not apologizing for it.
Between the salary cap scandal, the pending Kawhi Leonard trade and the suspension of president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, the organization has spent the last several months taking hit after hit while quietly putting together a roster that is better than most people think.
Head coach Ty Lue has a group that might not win 50 games, but one that could surprise a conference full of teams that have already written them off.
Darius Garland Will Make the All-Star Team
This is less of a stretch than it might sound.
Point guard Garland averaged 21.1 points and 6.8 assists per game during his time with the Clippers last season, and the numbers only got better once he settled into Lue's system.
With forward Kawhi Leonard expected to leave via trade, Garland will have the ball in his hands more than ever, and the usage bump should push his numbers into All-Star territory.
He has the talent and the role, and a strong first half in a weaker Western Conference guard class could be enough to earn the nod from the coaches who fill out the reserve spots.
Garland's ability to run pick-and-roll, create off the dribble and hit pull-up threes from deep makes him one of the more dynamic offensive players in the conference, and Lue has built a system that maximizes exactly those skills.
Brandon Ingram Will Lead the Team in Scoring
Assuming the Leonard trade goes through as expected, forward Ingram will arrive from the Toronto Raptors with something to prove.
He averaged 20.4 points per game last season and has the length and shot-making ability to be a go-to option late in games.
Playing alongside Garland should give Ingram better looks than he has had at any point in his career, because Garland's gravity as a ball handler forces defenses to collapse in ways that leave the wings open.
The combination of Garland and Ingram as a one-two scoring punch gives the Clippers an offensive identity that they have not had since the early days of the Leonard era, and Ingram's willingness to play within a system rather than demanding isolation sets should make the transition smoother than most people expect.
The Clippers Will Finish With a Better Record Than Last Season
This one depends on health and on the Leonard trade actually closing, but a roster featuring Garland, Ingram, forward Rui Hachimura, guard Max Strus and a collection of promising young draft picks has enough talent to compete for a play-in spot.
Lue is one of the best coaches in the league at getting the most out of imperfect rosters, and the Clippers played hard down the stretch last season even after the scandal broke.
The culture he has built inside that locker room is real, and it should carry over into a season where the pressure of championship expectations is completely gone.
The Los Angeles Clippers are not a title contender, but they are far from the disaster that outside observers have assumed.
With the right breaks and a healthy roster, they could make a lot of preseason predictions look foolish by April.
