LA Clippers face nightmare bloodbath following latest hints from contending rivals

By the end of the 2024-25 regular season, the LA Clippers miraculously ended with 50 wins, which was far beyond the dream fans had, knowing Kawhi Leonard was going to miss a chunk of time. What made this feat even more impressive is how the locker room collectively came together, turned to the same page, and immediately flipped the script before James Harden went for a nuclear 50-burger versus Detroit.

Furthermore, excluding the considerable talent in the Western Conference, a team typically becomes a top-three seed when it eclipses win number 50. Injuries to the best players on the best teams are also always an unfortunate but crucial factor that can change the outcome of the standings and playoff picture.

Moreover, thus far, the Clippers have remained unchanged since they admitted defeat in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. Although this is not yet bad news, given that the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Finals on Sunday night, teams across the Western Conference are making significant moves.

Conversely, the most notable has been Kevin Durant, who went from the Phoenix Suns, a team that did not make the play-in tournament, to the Houston Rockets, a promising squad that lost in the first round but was the second seed.

This move, plus the Portland Trail Blazers' recent transaction, hints at a nightmare the Clippers will not be able to escape next season.

With the latest trades across the league, the LA Clippers will be in for a formidable inner-conference challenge next season

Life for the LA Clippers next season already saw an increased amount of difficulty with Kevin Durant forcing his way to the number two-seeded Houston Rockets, but within a timespan of 48 hours, days that were already dark turned pitch black due to the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics.

Monday night, a trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks was announced to the NBA community by Shams Charania. 

Holiday may be declining on the back end of his NBA career. However, he is still a great offensive producer and an elite defender, joining rising stars like Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, and Scoot Henderson.

The Trail Blazers may not be a top-six seed next season, but they surely have a chance to contend in the top ten, where the Clippers almost fell to before their winning streak was ignited. This means more competition, which is the opposite of what LA needs.