Clippers offseason recap and early-season preview: Big questions still remain for LA
The Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration investigation continues to play out this summer, holding up his potential trade to the Toronto Raptors and the ability for the LA Clippers to move into their next era.
Sources told ESPN on Aug. 17 that the NBA has no evidence owner Steve Ballmer funneled money to Leonard via sponsors, but the investigation is ongoing as training camp approaches.
In the meantime, the Clippers have made moves around the edges, including adding No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler and signing Rui Hachimura in free agency, but their full outlook is unclear until there is resolution in the investigation.
ESPN's staff of experts is looking back at the offseason and taking an early look at the 2026-27 season for all 30 teams, with 30 pieces -- one for every team -- rolling out each weekday through Sept. 18. We're answering the biggest looming questions, evaluating X factors and much more for all 30 teams.
Quick links:
Roster | Depth chart | Transactions
More Clippers coverage | More NBA
Offseason at a glance
Key additions: Rui Hachimura, Keaton Wagler, Brandon Ingram (TBD), Gradey Dick (TBD)
Key retentions: Kobe Sanders, Bradley Beal
Key subtractions: Kawhi Leonard (TBD), Nicolas Batum, Bogdan Bogdanovic, John Collins
What started as a reconfiguration at the trade deadline -- acquiring Darius Garland from Cleveland for James Harden and Bennedict Mathurin from Indiana for Ivica Zubac -- turned into a complete overhaul this summer after the Clippers let Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nicolas Batum and John Collins walk.
Their biggest move, however, was trading Leonard to the Toronto Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft picks, but that deal is in limbo pending the investigation into alleged salary cap circumvention by the team relating to Leonard's Aspiration endorsement deal.
In the meantime, LA added Illinois guard Wagler with the No. 5 pick in the draft and signed Hachimura away from the crosstown Lakers with a two-year, $28 million deal. And in a surprise move, Bradley Beal -- after declining his $5.6 million contract option for next season in June to test free agency -- ended up re-signing on a two-year, $13.2 million deal in mid-August to stay with the Clippers. -- Dave McMenamin
Zach Kram's offseason grade: Incomplete
Until the Aspiration investigation concludes, the Clippers and Raptors can't complete their Kawhi Leonard trade. And until the Clippers and Raptors can complete their Leonard trade, both teams will receive an "Incomplete" offseason grade. As initially reported, the deal made sense for both sides -- but as of this writing, we don't know when, or whether, it will actually go through. -- Kram
What we learned over the past few months
From Ben Golliver's offseason lessons piece: The Clippers are no longer in denial.
During Leonard's seven-year Clippers tenure, the two-time Finals MVP earned $293 million in salary, appeared in just 17 playoff wins and became embroiled in a salary cap circumvention investigation. In the simplest terms: The Clippers were convinced Leonard would be a franchise-changing force, and he consistently fell short.
Was Leonard's time in Los Angeles worth all the money and hassle? The Clippers might still say yes, but there was no doubt it was time for the franchise to chart a new course this summer. Leonard, 35, was seeking another lucrative contract extension, even though the Clippers haven't won a playoff series since 2021.
Unfortunately for the Clippers, they've found it difficult to disentangle themselves from Leonard. With the league's investigation into Leonard still looming, a trade agreement that would have sent him to the Toronto Raptors is currently on hold.
Whether the league punishes Leonard or the Clippers, a much-needed youth movement is underway in Los Angeles. The Clippers traded for Garland last season and landed guard Wagler with the fifth pick; they're also still hoping to acquire Ingram and Dick from the Raptors if the Leonard trade goes through. While the Clippers' long-term outlook hasn't yet come into focus, sticking with Leonard was clearly a path to nowhere. -- Ben Golliver
1:40
Stephen A. calls for 'banishment' if Kawhi and Clippers circumvented salary cap
The big question: What is going to happen to Kawhi Leonard?
Despite NBA commissioner Adam Silver telling reporters in July that the investigation "needs to be wrapped up before the beginning of next season," sources told ESPN's Baxter Holmes that the Leonard investigation could drag into 2027 if the parties don't agree on the findings or any proposed settlement and the parties go to arbitration.
While the Clippers and the Raptors have made it clear that they plan to complete the deal once the investigation is over, it's hard to predict if that stance will change if a harsh punishment -- such as Leonard's contract being voided or a suspension that could last up to a year, under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement -- is levied. -- McMenamin
Basketball Power Index rank: No. 25
Here are the predicted Net Points per 100 possessions for the Clippers' top seven players for the 2026-27 season:
Wagler was the fifth pick in the draft, and he's going to get a lot of room to develop. How much do top 10 rookies develop in their first year? Typically, they're about +1.1 Net Points per game better in their last month relative to their first month. -- Dean Oliver
Read about how Net Points works here.
Biggest X factor
It's unclear when Niederhauser will return after undergoing foot surgery to address a Lisfranc fracture in March. But before his injury, the No. 30 pick in the 2025 draft had shown real flashes: He averaged only 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in his rookie season, but his playing time and production had perked up after the Clippers traded Ivica Zubac midseason.
With 38-year-old Brook Lopez, 2025 second-rounder Johni Broome and the undersized Isaiah Jackson as the only other big men on the Clippers' roster, Niederhauser should have plenty of runway as the Clippers' center of the future if he can get back on the court to continue his development this season. -- Kram
Fantasy insight from our expert
Fantasy Insight: Wagler's summer league play raised some red flags. He committed 17 fouls, recorded just two steals in 113 minutes and finished with 11 assists against nine turnovers. While the No. 5 pick can shoot better than he showed in Las Vegas, the lack of defensive production and shaky ball control make him more of a dynasty stash than a redraft target this season. -- Eric Moody
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.