No. 9: Danny Manning
Franchise Averages: 19.1 PTS, 6.4 REB, 3.0 AST
Danny Manning came into Los Angeles with lofty expectations, and he fulfilled them from the start. He was LA’s first no. 1 pick in any NBA Draft — and luckily for the Clippers, he arguably became the best player in the class, with the exception of Mitch Richmond.
As a Clipper, Manning consistently led his teams in scoring, and even helped the franchise reach the playoffs on two separate occasions, in back-to-back seasons. And while LA was eliminated in five games both times, it was the best the team had looked since they were located in Buffalo.
Manning’s best statistical season in LA came in 1992, when he averaged 22.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. His scoring average placed him among the league’s top 10 scorers that season.
In 1994, the LA Clippers traded Manning to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Dominique Wilkins and a first-round pick. Neither Manning nor Wilkins re-signed with their respective new teams, and the Clippers, and LA wound up trading the pick for a package including Piatkowski and Pooh Richardson.