Earlier this offseason, the Clippers made a franchise-altering move and traded star player Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple draft picks. 

Los Angeles also drafted in the top-5 of the NBA Draft for the first time since 2009 and picked guard Keaton Wagler out of Illinois. Wagler turned heads with some of his Summer League performances, and he could be the next player the franchise will build around moving forward. 

While the Clippers have immersed themselves in a full rebuild, the team does have some players who could be in for productive seasons in 2026. 

Brandon Ingram is coming off a season in which he was the first option on a Toronto Raptors team that made the postseason as the fifth seed, and he could take the Clippers farther than people think if he continues that same level of play. 

Bennedict Mathurin is currently an unrestricted free agent and is coming off the best-scoring season of his career. If he is brought back, he could give the team a big lift, especially if he comes off the bench. 

While there is some upside to the 2026 Clippers roster, it may not be enough against a stacked Western Conference. The conference has many teams that have handed the Clippers losses in the past, and some teams have upgraded their roster over the summer.

The Thunder and Spurs will likely be elite teams again next season, and now the Minnesota Timberwolves have upgraded to try and be one of those top teams as well. Then there are the Nuggets and Rockets, who may have had quiet offseasons but are talented enough to have successful seasons again in 2026. 

Los Angeles may fall victim to having a decent team, but their strength of schedule could hold it back from making the playoffs. The one way they could be better next season is if a player performs the way Kawhi Leonard did for them this past season. 

The Clippers started the season poorly in 2025-2026, and a lot of that was due to Kawhi Leonard missing time due to injury. Once he came back, their season turned around, but now the Clippers may not have a player who can carry the load like that again on their roster. 

Because of the Clippers' lack of talent compared to other teams in the West, they could be looking at a season in which they finish 12th in the conference. Too much of their success will rely on how well certain players will do, but they don't have the depth to sustain success.