The LA Clippers sat back and watched on Wednesday night as the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft commenced. The Clippers came into draft night not owning a first-round pick, but the possibility of a draft night trade, especially with the looming Paul George situation.
No one was quite sure what would happen, but the night ended in uneventful fashion for Clippers fans with LA opting not to trade up into the first round. Plenty of good talent was selected, but the general consensus was that this draft did feel a little lighter on true high-end players.
The Clippers own the No. 46 pick in the second round
Looking ahead to the first ever Day 2 of the NBA Draft, the Clippers will be making just one selection as of this writing with the 46th-overall pick. Several big names like Kyle Filipowski, Johnny Furphy, Tyler Smith and others all fell slightly further than expected, so LA may be keeping their eyes out for a late draft steal.
If there is a player that Clippers' management is particularly fond of and they believe will be gone before the 46th pick rolls around, do not be surprised to see a last-second deal made that would allow LA to move up and get their guy. Otherwise, the Clippers will likely play it safe and remain in the mid-second round to select a low-risk, high-reward option.
The draft tonight will be the last major event on the NBA calendar before free agency officially opens up on Sunday afternoon. At that point, we can expect the Paul George situation to begin heating up.