With the Clippers sitting at 6-18 and facing uncertainty on multiple fronts, NBA observers are already wondering whether Los Angeles will be forced into major roster decisions sooner than expected.
The franchise is still awaiting the outcome of the NBA’s ongoing investigation, and the team’s performance on the court hasn’t offered many bright spots.
As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps explored this week, the Clippers may eventually have no choice but to consider significant changes — including the possibility of moving stars James Harden or Kawhi Leonard.
Because the Clippers don’t control their own first-round pick until 2030, recouping meaningful assets would likely require trading one of their marquee players.
According to Bontemps, some in the organization have discussed accelerating their cap-flexibility timeline from the 2027 offseason to next summer, which would mean finding trade partners with space to absorb Harden (who holds a $42 million option for 2026-27) or Leonard (owed $50 million that same season).
If L.A. pursues that route, the potential 2026 free-agent class includes Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Anfernee Simons, Jonathan Kuminga, Austin Reaves and Coby White. Young and Reaves are considered the most intriguing names, though Reaves is widely expected to stay with the Lakers and Young’s long-term trajectory in Atlanta is still unclear.
Even so, there’s skepticism around the league about how much a 28-year-old Young — coming off an injury and still a defensive liability — would truly move the needle for the Clippers.
A few speculative trade concepts have circulated online, including the idea of a short-term “Kawhi-style” rental in reverse, where L.A. prioritizes getting younger while another team takes a swing at a one-year championship push.
Despite the Clippers’ murky outlook, optimism exists that the franchise can rebound quickly. As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted, one rival executive pointed to the Suns — who went from a bleak cap and roster situation to a playoff-caliber team within two seasons — as evidence that rapid turnarounds remain possible.
Harden is widely viewed as the more movable of L.A.’s two stars, given his health and production. Leonard presents a tougher calculus, both because of his injury history and the league’s active investigation.
Still, with the Clippers stuck near the bottom of the standings, the sense around the league is that running the same group back in 2026 may no longer be a viable plan.
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