When the President of Basketball Operations of the LA Clippers, Lawrence Frank, at the beginning of this February stated that the franchise wanted to "win now…while getting younger", he seemed far too pretentious. Well, Frank is a man of his word, as he initiated a rebuild in an unimaginable manner.
He needed to move 36-year-old James Harden, 28-year-old Ivica Zubac, and eventually 35-year-old Kawhi Leonard, hoping to get valuable players in terms of talent and age or draft picks.
It looked like a nearly impossible mission, but for now we can say it: his job has been excellent, and the Clippers seem better equipped and in a better position than before.
A quick recap of everything Frank has done in recent memory
The first big move came at the beginning of February: the James Harden experience in LA was over. Both the Beard and the team wanted to move on from each other, given the fact that they hadn't won together. And the Clippers got a former two-time All-Star in return, who is 10 and a half years younger than James: yes, Darius Garland had played only 26 games that season before the trade, but the concerns about his health were offset by the age gap (and a second-round pick).
Then, it came time for Ivica Zubac to go; he was the most valuable player on the trade block for the Clippers, and the Pacers came up with a great offer, so the Croatian center (along with Kobe Brown) was sent to Indiana in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a top-four-protected (pay attention to the detail) 2026 first-round pick, the 2029 first-round pick, and the 2028 second-round pick.
Not long after, luck struck: the Pacers got the fifth pick in the 2026 Draft, which came into the Clippers' hands and was used on Keaton Wagler.
Baba Miller was selected in the second round of the Draft. In the midst of it all, Nicolas Batum and Bogdan Bogdanovic left the franchise after their team options were declined, while Brook Lopez's was accepted.
Additionally, John Collins left the franchise, too, as a free agent. But the Clippers found a perfect solution: Rui Hachimura.
Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders got their new contracts, while Bradley Beal left the team. Last season, Miller and Sanders both proved useful off the bench, providing more versatility and fresh energy than Beal, who never really developed into the valuable sixth man many expected him to be.
Last but not least, the Kawhi Leonard trade; the Clippers received a great package that included Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, second-round picks in 2030 and 2033, and a first-round pick swap in 2027. A very generous offer, even if Ingram is a worse player than Kawhi (mostly because of his defensive contribution), with the franchise obtaining a great haul of picks and another player, Dick, able to crack the rotation.
Summing everything up in a nutshell
So, to put it all together, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Ivica Zubac, Bradley Beal, John Collins, Nic Batum, and Bogdan Bogdanovic are gone. And in are Brandon Ingram, Darius Garland, Keaton Wagler, Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, Gradey Dick, Baba Miller, 3 first round picks, 4 second round picks, and 1 pick swap.
A decision about the future of Bennedict Mathurin, restricted free agent, has not been made yet. He seemed like a lock, given his age and his scoring ability, but now the Clippers have put themselves in a position to weigh also his weaknesses too (as consistency or defensive effort) and to eventually pen a deal at a right price, with a roster so full of options that they don't need him at all costs.
The Clippers probably need to make other moves, particularly to strengthen the center position (which now includes Brook Lopez, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Isaiah Jackson and Baba Miller).
In the same breath, the rotation is also very deep and full of options, with greater versatility than before, similar overall talent, and plenty of future picks.
The road to becoming a contender is still long, as is the road to winning it all. So we don't know whether Frank's statement about winning and getting younger at the same time will be fully realized. But for now, it is hard not to recognize the great effort put in by the front office to turn the page on the previous core and give the Clippers a chance to become a team that can hold its own in the Western Conference.
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