After a loss in the Play-In tournament, marking a disappointing end to the 2026 season, the LA Clippers find themselves in what might possibly be the most interesting position in the NBA. With their current age, they could look towards the future and rebuild or focus on the now and contend. Whichever way they decide to go, it's clear that the glaring need this Clippers team has is a dynamic center.
When you look around the league, all of the contending teams have 7’0 bigs that can move like guards. Immediately, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren come to mind; then guys like Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, and Alperen Sengun show flashes of that. While Brook Lopez can shoot like the best bigs in the league, his mobility is a huge question.
John Collins was used at center at times, but his 6’9 frame makes it difficult to defend other bigs. Lopez surprised many people with his production, rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser showed flashes, and high-energy bigman Isaiah Jackson was a nice middle ground; the need for a guard-skill-savvy big is obvious.
A skilled, dynamic big would solve a lot of issues for this team
Without a doubt, the best option in free agency would be a reunion with Isaiah Hartenstein, who was with the team for the 2021-2022 season. Clearly, Hartenstein is not Nikola Jokic or Victor Wembanyama, but he does a lot right while doing fewer things wrong.
He becomes even better of a pickup if the price can be met. His salary was just under $30 million, and he most likely won't take a pay cut. Since negotiating his current contract, Hartenstein has become an NBA champion and a double-double threat, blossoming from a role player to a legit NBA starter.
If the LA Clippers want star power, Kristaps Porzingis gives them that in name recognition. Though he's not the same player he once was, playing Porzingis at center can get them similar production to Lopez.
However, the main question with both of these options is availability. Hartenstein missed 35 games this past season, and Porzingis missed 50.
The other option is a trade, which is not out of the realm of possibilities, as we saw last offseason with the acquisition of John Collins.
Either way, issues in the front-court, particularly through mobility and defense on the perimeter, would vanish right as the front office acquires a skilled big man that is not limited to just a few strengths.
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