The Los Angeles Clippers are entering the 2026-27 season with a timeline that prioritizes a franchise reset over immediate contention, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Windhorst said the Clippers are “somewhere in the 30-ish win range” as they move beyond a veteran-heavy era that produced limited postseason results despite significant expectations.
The shift accelerated during the 2025-26 season. Los Angeles finished 42-40, ninth in the Western Conference, and reached the play-in tournament rather than the playoffs. The Clippers ranked seventh in field-goal percentage at 48.4% and 24th in scoring at 113.8 points per game.
Kawhi Leonard remained productive before his departure, averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 65 games while shooting 50.5% from the field, 38.7% from three-point range and 89.2% from the free-throw line. He finished seventh in MVP voting and 10th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The Clippers also moved James Harden at the February trade deadline, sending the 36-year-old guard to Cleveland for 26-year-old Darius Garland and a second-round pick. Garland averaged 19.9 points and 6.4 assists in 19 games for Los Angeles after the trade.
Leonard’s subsequent move to Toronto represented the largest step in the reset. The reported deal brought Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and two second-round picks to Los Angeles, giving the Clippers additional long-term assets while removing their highest-paid veteran centerpiece.
The Clippers’ roster construction now reflects that change. Ingram joins Garland as the most established pieces of the new group, while Rui Hachimura arrived on a two-year, $28 million contract and Los Angeles added Keaton Wagler with the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Clippers also retained Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders on multiyear contracts.
Ingram averaged 21.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 77 games for Toronto last season, while Dick has averaged 9.2 points and 2.5 rebounds over his first three NBA seasons. The combination gives Los Angeles a 28-year-old former All-Star and a 23-year-old wing entering his fourth season, alongside Garland and its younger draft selections.
The Clippers have continued adding younger pieces rather than replacing Leonard with another veteran star. They acquired Johni Broome from Philadelphia on July 28 for cash considerations and a 2027 second-round pick, another move that fits the broader asset-building approach.
