For the second time in three years, the LA Clippers have the last pick (30th overall) of the first round entering the NBA Draft. The Clippers also have a second-round pick (51st overall) on Day 2 of the draft.

I don’t spend a lot of ink when it comes to the Clippers draft. The last Clippers rookie to play more than 800 minutes in a season was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2018-19, and you know how that’s turned out (Very well! The Clippers drafted an MVP!). Almost every other NBA team has had at least one 1,000-minute rookie over the last six NBA seasons; the Oklahoma City Thunder have had 10 1,000-minute rookies over the last six years. The lone exception besides the Clippers is the Milwaukee Bucks.

However, I do consider what kind of prospects make sense for the Clippers throughout the spring. To analyze this class, I’ll use our draft guru Sam Vecenie’s powerful guide when citing rankings for players in certain draft ranges for the Clippers. I will rank primary positions that I expect the Clippers to target, and I’ll slot players based on their usage on their previous team (in college or otherwise). That is not to say that players are limited to only playing those positions.

The elevated priority for the Clippers this offseason is ballhandling and frontcourt help, and the Clippers have always valued toughness, positional size and what I like to call a DPS (dribble-pass-shoot) skill set. What the Clippers do not expect is to need to rely on whoever they draft to be a rotation piece on day one. They should target are high-upside players who will spend a year developing before pushing to contribute more by the end of 2026.

Before we get into my draft targets, which are ordered by position of need, here’s what the Clippers’ offseason depth chart looks like:

2025 Clippers’ pre-draft depth chart

PositionStarterBenchBenchBench

PG

James Harden (player option)

Bogdan Bogdanovic

Patty Mills (unrestricted)

SG

Norman Powell

Amir Coffey (unrestricted)

Cam Christie

Seth Lundy (two-way)

SF

Kris Dunn

Derrick Jones Jr.

Jordan Miller (non-guaranteed)

Trentyn Flowers (restricted two-way)

PF

Kawhi Leonard

Nicolas Batum (player option)

Kobe Brown

Patrick Baldwin Jr. (two-way)

C

Ivica Zubac

Ben Simmons (unrestricted)

Drew Eubanks (non-guaranteed)

1. Point guard

Objective: Reliable ballhandler capable of making plays (Clippers ranked 23rd in turnover percentage)

The Clippers haven’t drafted a point guard prospect since they acquired the draft rights of Jason Preston, the 33rd pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. LA president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank believed that Preston was the second-best passer in the draft class behind top-10 pick Josh Giddey. He wasn’t wrong about Giddey, who leads all players from the 2021 draft with 1,703 assists. But Preston missed his rookie season due to foot surgery, and his struggles to get paint touches, shoot with confidence or defend have kept him at 43 career assists.

James Harden is likely to return, and he was an All-NBA selection. But Harden turns 36 this summer, and even if the Clippers add veteran ballhandling help, it is time to develop an on-ball guard. They haven’t had one on the roster since trading Bones Hyland.

  • Ben Saraf, Germany (Rank: 28)
  • Kam Jones, Marquette (Rank: 33)
  • Max Shulga, VCU (Rank: 47)
  • Kobe Sanders, Nevada (Rank: 53)
  • Exhibit 10: Javon Small, West Virginia (Rank: 65)

I do not think Egor Demin would be available at No. 30. I’m also not a fan of Demin’s readiness; we’re talking about a player who averaged 3.2 turnovers and shot 38.8 percent field goals, 22.6 percent 3s and 66.7 percent free throws in conference play. If he really starts dropping, then the focus is on the fact that Demin has a “best passer in the draft” case at 6-foot-8 and 19 years old, and perhaps that’s worth a trade up into the 20s for that. Or the Clippers could just stay put and take Israel native Saraf, a player who is one month younger than Demin and only two inches shorter while playing with grown men in Europe. This is also the part where I mention that the Clippers haven’t drafted an international player who did not play at a United States college or university since 2016 (David Michineau). Saraf is a southpaw who wears Luka Dončić’s No. 77, and though I have questions about his athleticism and efficiency (especially from 3), I think he has a chance to be a good passer who competes on both ends of the floor. Saraf could be a solid consolation prize for a team missing out on Demin. But we could also compare Saraf to Killian Hayes, who played on the same team in Germany that Saraf did at the same age. … Jones gives me dollarnaire Harden vibes, and his 5.9:1.9 assist-turnover ratio while taking over the Marquette offense in Tyler Kolek’s stead after being an effective shooting guard moves me. He could be a little more athletic and a better free-throw shooter, but he wouldn’t be in LA’s range if he were. … Shulga has the DPS at 6-4, and he drew a lot of fouls and generated a lot of steals. Maybe he’s not a true point guard, but he could fit a variety of lineups. … Sanders is 6-7 with enough juice to get to the line 5.2 times per game and sport a 4.5:1.8 assist-turnover ratio, and I believe his shooting is adequate. I’d be interested in seeing if he can play point guard in the NBA at his size. He is also in Sam Vecenie’s second-round mock draft to the Clippers. … Small is, well, small (6-1, 190), but he is one of two players from this combine with a 40-inch vertical, and he averaged 5.2 free-throw attempts, 4.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.6 3s while shooting 35.3 percent 3s and 88 percent free throws. He checks a lot of production boxes and won’t be 23 until December.

2. Center

Objective: Athletic size capable of rim protection (Clippers ranked 23rd in rim protection)

The issue here isn’t Ivica Zubac, an All-Defense selection who was arguably the most indispensable player for the Clippers this season. Zubac was to LA’s defense what Harden was to LA’s offense, only the Clippers ranked third in defensive efficiency and 15th in offensive efficiency.

Zubac played a career-high 2,624 minutes in 2024-25, and LA hasn’t had 48 minutes of rim protection since 2021 camp invite Isaiah Hartenstein got paid by New York in 2022. The Clippers have used draft picks since 2019 on Mfiondu Kabengele, Daniel Oturu and Moussa Diabaté, but neither made it to a third season with the franchise. LA decided to take a flier on 2021 Hornets first-round pick Kai Jones last season, but the Clippers moved on from him as well.

  • Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton (Rank: 27)
  • Asa Newell, Georgia (Rank: 29)
  • Maxime Raynaud, Stanford (Rank: 30)
  • Vladislav Goldin, Michigan (Rank: 51)
  • Exhibit 10: Amari Williams, Kentucky (Rank: 75)

Kalkbrenner is another prospect who I just can’t see getting to No. 30; he’s a legit 7-1, 257 pounds, and only Khaman Maluach has longer arms. He averaged 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks last season. LA would likely need to trade into the 20s to get him, but he’s the only player at any position that I feel like could play for the Clippers immediately. … I think Newell is too small to be a starting center, and he lacks the length to be a shot blocker. He also isn’t a good passer, doesn’t shoot it well enough and isn’t going to create his own shot right now. But as a potential change-of-pace reserve big, he’s intriguing on both ends of the floor given his age (20 in October), athleticism and motor. … Raynaud’s field goal percentage dropped off a cliff last season (from 55.4 percent in his first three seasons at Stanford to 46.7 percent last season), and I don’t think his 3-point shooting (a decent 34.7 percent) offsets or justifies that. But Raynaud also averaged 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks at 7-feet tall, so he’d be a legitimate stretch-five option. … Goldin is a brute with the largest hands in the draft. The Clippers should draft him just to have him and Kawhi Leonard shake hands. I definitely get Steven Adams Jr. vibes from Goldin, and Clippers senior vice president Mark Hughes won the 1989 NCAA championship at Michigan. … Williams is not athletic enough to be drafted, but he is a huge body with arms as long as Kalkbrenner, and he averaged 3.2 assists to go with 10.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.

3. Small forward

Objective: Big wing capable of defending without fouling (Clippers ranked 17th in opponent free-throw attempt rate)

In terms of where the Clippers should focus, there is a drop-off here from the previous two positions. LA not only has solid players here in the rotation, but also has developmental players as well in Jordan Miller and Trentyn Flowers. Both Miller and Flowers have made more progress offensively than defensively, and while Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. transformed LA’s perimeter defense, both averaged only 3.4 rebounds per game. There’s no true need here, but if the best player available is a wing, the Clippers will certainly consider them.

  • Nique Clifford, Colorado State (Rank: 25)
  • Adou Thiero, Arkansas (Rank: 31)
  • Drake Powell, North Carolina (Rank: 34)
  • Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern (Rank: 45)
  • Exhibit 10: Dink Pate, NBA G League (Rank: 71)

Clifford is undersized for a pro forward at 6-5, 202 pounds, and he’s already 23. But he reminds me of Josh Hart, right down to the 9.6 rebounds per game. Hart was the 30th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. … Thiero is a plus-athlete at 6-6, 218 pounds, with a 7-foot wingspan, and he averaged 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 6.5 free-throw attempts per game. I have concerns that he is injury-prone, especially given his style of play, and he was a sub-30 percent 3-point shooter in college. But he could be an impact defender. … Powell is in Sam Vecenie’s first-round mock as the Clippers’ pick, so he’s here. But I can’t say that I agree with using a pick on Powell. He’s young (turns 20 in September), and he had the combine’s best vertical leap; the Clippers drafted a similar achiever in this regard when they used a first-round pick in 2021 on Keon Johnson. Powell also has a 7-foot wingspan and wants to defend. But Powell might be even further behind Johnson offensively, and he only averaged 3.4 rebounds and 0.7 steals. … Barnhizer is another one who comes with injury and efficiency concerns (41.5 percent field goals, 31 percent 3s in four years at Northwestern), and he will have an adjustment to make athletically. But he’s also 6-5, 229 pounds, with a 6-11 wingspan, with on-ball skills and a nose for the ball. … Pate is only 19, and I have seen him play in person in a variety of settings. He has the frame at 6-6, a 6-10 wingspan and theoretical on-ball skills. But he hasn’t been productive in the G League while playing with Ignite and Mexico City, so he remains a multi-year project who has to get better at everything, especially if he wants to play point guard and not be stuck on the wing.

Nique Clifford celebrates a Colorado State conference tournament semifinal victory in March. (David Becker / Getty Images)

 

4. Power forward

Objective: Physical defender with size capable of playing with a center (Two words: Aaron Gordon)

The Clippers don’t need a starting power forward. They had a top-three defense with Jones and Dunn starting at least 55 games each, while Leonard played in only 37 games. Harden was used to guard non-star power forwards, while Leonard focused on perimeter players for the most part. Nicolas Batum was significantly impactful in 78 games.

What the Clippers need is roster optionality. They do need to find a competent big man who can play in a rotation for a playoff team and not get the Clippers hammered by Aaron Gordon-type players who thrive on crashing the boards and otherwise overwhelming the Clippers with athletic size and activity. Harden couldn’t wrangle Gordon, and Leonard had a hard time with Gordon in Game 7 against Denver.

With all that said, the Clippers aren’t going to draft a player and expect a rookie to deal with Gordon. And the last time the Clippers had a first-round pick, they used the 30th pick in the 2023 draft on Kobe Brown, who is facing a make-or-break year. The Clippers also have 2022 Warriors first-round pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. on a two-way contract, and he basically replaced Jones on the roster. A draft pick here would be immediate competition for Brown and Baldwin, two players who already have difficult pathways toward playing time.

  • Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s (Rank: 32)
  • Johni Broome, Auburn (Rank: 40)
  • Bogoljub Marković, Serbia (Rank: 42)
  • RJ Luis Jr., Saint John’s (Rank: 58)
  • Exhibit 10: Grant Nelson, Alabama (Rank: 73)

The average starting power forward in the NBA last season was 6-8, 232 pounds. Gordon is 6-foot-8, 235 pounds. Fleming is 6-8, 232 pounds, with a ridiculous 7-5 wingspan. He shot 53.1 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3 to go with 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks, and he will only be 21 years old next month. He’s not going to be an on-ball player, and I think he’ll need some time to learn. But if Fleming is there at No. 30, he’s the only power forward I’d bother to consider. … Broome’s athleticism at the combine was clowned by Duolingo, which is quite rude. He has NBA size at 6-9, 249 pounds and an adequate 7-foot wingspan to go with outstanding production at Auburn (18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.1 blocks). Broome also played next to a true center in Dylan Cardwell. The concerns, besides the legitimate struggles to run and jump, are that he turns 23 next month, and he isn’t a good shooter. But he’s a good basketball player, and that has to count for something. … If you thought Broome struggled at the combine, well, I don’t know what to say about Marković. No one had a worse maximum vertical leap (27 1/2 inches), and he isn’t fast. Marković is worth mentioning because he played on the same team in Europe as Zubac, and he’s from Serbia like Bogdan Bogdanović. Marković can shoot at 6-11, and he turns 20 next month, so keep an eye on him. … I don’t like Luis as an NBA big, especially for the Clippers. But reserve wings typically play power forward, even if they’re better suited for small forward. As a combo forward, Luis is undersized at 6-6, 210 pounds, but he has a 6-11 wingspan and has some viability as a scorer, rebounder (particularly on the offensive glass), defender and shooter. He will need to learn how to contribute off the ball. … Nelson has good height for the four, but his offensive game is more of an idea than an actuality at this point, and he’s already 23. He had some of the best movement skills at the combine, including the best shuttle run, and he averaged 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 52.2 percent from the field while playing next to center Clifford Omoruyi at Alabama.

5. Shooting guard

Objective: A catch shooter (Clippers ranked last in catch-and-shoot 3s made and attempted each of the last two seasons, per Second Spectrum)

While the Clippers don’t generate a respectable volume of 3s, it is more important for teams to make a high percentage of 3s than it is to take a high number of them. And the Clippers are great at hitting the few 3s they generate. Only the Bucks and Suns made a higher percentage of catch-and-shoot 3s last season, and out of 75 players who attempted at least four 3s off the catch, only Kevin Durant and Isaiah Joe had a better percentage than Norman Powell.

LA also drafted Cam Christie last year, while adding Seth Lundy on a two-way to nurse him back to health. I’d be most surprised if the Clippers used a draft pick on an off-ball guard this year, but you can never have enough shooting, and perhaps some of these guys could be developed as long-term NBA point guards.

  • Tyrese Proctor, Duke (Rank: 36)
  • Alijah Martin, Florida (Rank: 37)
  • Brice Williams, Nebraska (Rank: 43)
  • Chaz Lanier, Tennessee (Rank: 44)
  • Exhibit 10: Caleb Love, Arizona (Rank: 63)

Proctor has similar physical traits to Jason Preston at 6-4, 183 pounds with a 6-7 wingspan. Shooting is the only thing I like about Proctor, as he made 2.3 3s per game at 40.5 percent, but he also only made 68 percent of his free throws. Proctor has always been a low turnover player, and although his assists dropped to 2.2 per game playing next to Cooper Flagg and Sion James, Proctor had a 3.7:1.3 assist-turnover ratio in 2024, so I can squint and see Proctor as a point guard project for the Clippers who can comfortably play off the ball. … Martin is short (6-2) and very much not a point guard (topped out at 2.2 assists per game in his fifth season in college) while already being 23 years old. But he’s a winning player, especially defensively, where he rolls out a 6-8 wingspan. … Williams went to Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue’s school, and he checks all of the production boxes (20.4 points, 6.1 free-throw attempts, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.9 3s while shooting 37 percent from 3 and 88.3 percent free throws). The only players with larger hands than Williams are three centers, and Williams is 6-5, 206 pounds, with a 6-11 wingspan. He’s already 24 and not a remarkable athlete, but Williams is the only shooting guard I’d bother drafting. … It’s not complicated with Lanier. He’s an athletic shooter, making 3.2 3s per game at 39.5 percent. Only Drake Powell and Yanic Konan Niederhauser had better standing vertical leaps than Lanier (33 inches). But he had more turnovers than assists and is already 23. … Love is undersized (6-2, 203) and overaged (already 23), and he never shot better than 41.3 percent from the field in college. If this were another team, I’d consider Chase Hunter in this spot, a better shooter. But Love has higher upside and is a little bigger than Hunter, and Love was coached in high school by Justin Tatum, father of Jayson Tatum and cousin of Tyronn Lue.

(Top photo of Kam Jones and RJ Luis Jr.: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)