The NBA draft is later this month, and the LA Clippers have their highest draft pick since 2009, which stands at fifth overall. If the front office prioritizes youth, the future will look brighter, but the more likely outcome is selecting a more experienced college player. This decision would lower the ceiling of the team's future years to come.
The choice fans should be worried about is Yaxel Lendeborg. While Lendeborg seems to be a solid, athletic forward, he’s already 23 years old. That being said, he was very strong in college, showing few weaknesses and oftentimes looking like the best player on the court.
The Lendeborg selection, to some, comes off as likely, as Lawrence Frank has repeatedly taken players unexpectedly. However, a more favorable selection is Caleb Wilson, who has been a consensus top four pick all season. In March, Wilson underwent surgery on his thumb, which may scare away potential suitors. Wilson should translate into a high-energy, defense-first forward, similar to Kawhi Leonard.
It's also worth noting that, historically, Lawrence Frank has always been a wild card in June. Whether that's making trades, drafting older collegiate players, or taking a swing on under-the-radar guys, we never really know how a Clippers draft will go. Combine that with the fact that it's been 17 years since this franchise had a top-five pick, and eight years since the last lottery pick, and it's clear that this draft has extremely high-stakes.
The Clippers must draft for upside to boost the potential of their future
That 2018 draft had two lottery selections for the LA Clippers: Miles Bridges (who was traded to Charlotte for Shai Gigeous-Alexander) and Jerome Robinson. Robinson was a bad pick, but Gilgeous-Alexander turned into a 2x MVP for the Oklahoma City Thunder and was the main piece to land Paul George.
If the Gilgeous-Alexander pick was not a fluke by the scouting department, drafting for upside on a guard can be the right move in this draft, and it should be. While rookie guards often take more time to adjust to the NBA than other positions, the potential is usually high enough to make it justifiable.
Looking at this past draft, Dylan Harper is a great example of the challenges of adjusting to the NBA. Though he was a highly regarded prospect, he faced the normal struggles of a rookie, and did enough to help his team reach the finals.
A guy like Keaton Wagner or Darius Acuff Jr. has shown skill sets similar to Harper's, and should be available at five.
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