Following the significant loss of five first-round picks for circumventing the cap, there is a ton of tension regarding the LA Clippers’ future. And, in all honesty, every bit of it is understandable. Clipper Nation is worried about what the front office will do to benefit the team long-term without a handful of extremely valuable draft assets over the next seven years.
Well, there is a pathway where the Clippers’ future will be just fine. How so? They simply have to stay on track to keep the most cap space in their back pocket to spend on restricted free agents in the 2027 offseason, which, right now, is an extremely young and talented group of players.
That ultimately means eliminating the strategy of taking on a bad contract to restock a first-round pick. This has been rumored ever since the NBA punished the Clippers, and though it could be beneficial, the front office should steer clear.
2027’s restricted free agents will have several players for the Clippers to pick from
Every summer, restricted free agency typically has one or two promising star-level players. In 2026, it has been Jalen Duren, Walker Kessler, and Peyton Watson; in 2025, it was Josh Giddey and Jonathan Kuminga.
These are players who are still at the beginning stages of their careers, yet have proven they deserve to be paid the top dollar, whether that’s with their current team or in a completely different situation.
However, in the 2027 offseason, the number of talented restricted free agents is literally through the roof. This is particularly why the LA Clippers must play their cards right and ensure they have more than enough money to make offers that are reasonable but cannot be matched.
They could start by targeting Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets. He is just 24 years old and has shown, time and time again, that he can be an NBA All-Star with the right surroundings and support system.
Additionally, the Clippers would benefit greatly from pursuing Scoot Henderson, a former second overall pick; Ausar Thompson, one of the league's best defenders; and Keyonte George, a future All-Star.
And if somehow the Clippers cannot get their hands on any of these guys, they could make a run for Cason Wallace, Michael Porter Jr., Anthony Black, and even Bilal Coulibaly.
The bottom line is: the Clippers’ future is by no means in trouble if they can take advantage of the 2027 restricted free agent class. It’ll definitely be an untraditional rebuild, but one that could still work out.
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