The NBA’s hammer has come down on the Clippers, and the fallout reaches well beyond Los Angeles. The league announced its harshest punishment since it stripped the Timberwolves of four draft picks - later reduced to two - and voided Joe Smith’s contract. This time, the Clippers lost five first-round picks, and owner Steve Ballmer was fined $30 million.
That leaves LA in a tight spot. The Clippers now control only three first-rounders: two from the Toronto Raptors in the Kawhi Leonard deal, plus one of two first-round picks from the Ivica Zubac trade. With so little draft capital and limited flexibility in trades, the franchise’s future leans heavily on those picks and on former Pacer draft pick Illinois wing Keaton Wagler.
Wagler’s summer league in Las Vegas did not help ease concerns. He shot 38% from the field and 31% from three, and his lack of athleticism showed as he struggled to get clean looks. He still managed decent scoring totals, but the rest of his game left plenty to be desired, especially for a top-five pick.
If Wagler keeps trending the way many Clippers fans fear, the pressure shifts even more onto the team’s remaining future picks, including the one tied to the Zubac deal. That pick has already been a useful piece for the Pacers, with real avenues for improvement hidden within international play, and it gives Indiana another reason to push hard for a title now. At the same time, that 2029 pick becomes a real point of leverage for the Pacers: their job, in effect, is to make sure LA ends up with the worst possible selection.
The punishment also invites an obvious comparison to the Joe Smith case. When the Timberwolves went under the table to sign Smith, they were chasing a decent fringe star with a shaky fit. It is hard not to notice the contrast with the Clippers, who made their move for Kawhi Leonard, a top-five player in the league in his prime.
That Clippers era had star power everywhere. Leonard and Paul George were elite wings, Zubac arrived in a stunning trade for Mike Muscala, and the bench was packed with veterans who could do a little of everything. But the ending is the same as it was for Minnesota: no title, even after the cheating advances.
If anything, the Clippers’ outcome feels even harsher. They took the risk with the backing of one of the ten richest men in the sport, only to end up with the same label that has followed them for years. Now, after finally beginning a rebuild through strong trades, they are paying for it with a punishment that could leave them stuck in the lottery for a long time with nothing to show for it.
The NBA had sympathy for the Timberwolves in 2006. It is not likely to extend the same grace to the Clippers.
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Pacers Never Got The Version Of Victor Oladipo This Core Needed
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The intrigue now is how naturally Oladipos skill set would have fit this roster. His ideal place always seemed to be as a complementary star, not someone carrying every possession, which is why a lineup built around Haliburton and Pascal Siakam makes the what-if even more interesting. Indiana never got the version of Oladipo this core needed, and even years later it is easy to wonder how different the Pacers last few seasons might have felt if his prime had lined up with the teams present-day spacing and playmaking. [Read more 🡒]
Victor Oladipos NBA Comeback Could Reopen A Complicated Pacers Memory
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For Indiana fans, Oladipos comeback inevitably stirs an old mix of excitement and what-ifs. He was once the face of a Pacers team built around his two-way energy and leadership, and any real chance at another NBA opportunity would reopen memories of how promising that era felt before injuries changed everything. Miami may be his best opportunity at the moment, but the bigger question remains whether he can complete the climb and earn one more shot this season. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton Gives Pacers A Reason To Dream Bigger
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The Pacers are also preparing to open with a familiar-looking starting group that includes Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac, which gives the team real continuity at a time when health and rhythm matter most. Haliburtons presence is the part everyone will watch, though, because his return is what can turn a solid roster into one with a much higher ceiling. For Indiana, the hope is not just getting him back, but getting back the version of the Pacers that made bigger dreams feel realistic. [Read more 🡒]