The Clippers have one painfully obvious way to start digging out of the mess they’re in: absorb a bad contract if it comes with draft capital attached.
That approach matters now more than ever. Los Angeles has already been stripped of first-round picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 after the investigation into cap circumvention between the organization and Kawhi Leonard.
With that kind of draft stock wiped out, the front office has to find a way to rebuild its assets any way it can. One route is simple - use the cap space coming their way to take on money other teams would rather unload.
The contract that jumps out is De’Aaron Fox’s. The San Antonio Spurs guard is set to start a four-year extension worth $221.7 million, a deal that averages nearly $55.5 million a season over the next four years. For the Clippers, the idea is straightforward: take Fox and an unprotected first-round pick, and send Darius Garland out the door.
That would not be easy to swallow. Garland has flashed plenty of potential, and moving him would hurt. But if the goal is to restock draft capital and reset the roster’s future, the logic is there.
From the Spurs’ side, the fit is just as clear. Fox is a good player and has multiple All-Star appearances on his resume, but his playoff showing raised major questions. In the NBA Finals, he averaged 12.8 points while shooting 34.3% from the field and 25.0% from beyond the arc, and he had several possessions where his shot selection was questionable.
At that price, it’s hard to call the contract a good one, which is why San Antonio might be willing to attach a first-round pick to move it. If another team is ready to take on the salary, the Spurs could get off the deal and the Clippers could get something they badly need.
And there’s at least a chance Fox would look better somewhere else. It’s not the most likely outcome, but it’s possible.
In Other News...
Kawhi Leonards Clippers Scandal Is Raising One Damaging Question
The NBAs penalties in the Clippers salary cap scandal have already landed hard, with the franchise losing draft picks and Kawhi Leonard being fined $700,000. But the fallout has not stopped at the league office. The case has become a broader conversation around how much Leonard knew, how much he benefited, and whether the punishment fits the scope of a scheme that now sits at the center of one of the leagues messiest cap investigations.
Former player Markieff Morris has publicly questioned the leniency of Leonards punishment, while journalist Pablo Torre has pointed to documents and reporting that tie Leonard to endorsement dealings connected to the scandal. Torre has also disputed the idea that Leonard was simply unaware of what was happening around him, which has kept the scrutiny squarely on the Clippers star even after the leagues decision. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Trade Idea Just Changed The Post-Scandal Debate
A speculative trade framework has pushed the Clippers long-running draft-pick problem back into the center of the conversation. NBA insider Sam Quinn floated the idea on a podcast as a way for Los Angeles to start rebuilding its asset base after the penalties tied to the salary cap scandal, with the basic logic being less about aesthetics and more about repairing a roster and front-office balance that still feel the effects of the punishment.
The discussion is especially intriguing because it ties the Clippers immediate team-building needs to a bigger question about how aggressive they should be in chasing help while they try to recover from the fallout. No official deal is on the table, but the mere fact that a trade like this is being weighed says plenty about how thin the margin remains for a franchise trying to win now and dig itself out at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Rui Hachimura Choice Could Haunt Clippers If This Backfires
Rui Hachimuras offseason move to the Clippers came with the kind of structure teams like because it gives them flexibility, but it also carried some real opportunity cost for the player. Hachimura signed a two-year deal with a second-year team option, a setup that keeps the Clippers in control while giving them another wing piece to evaluate as they build out the roster.
What makes the choice worth revisiting is that Hachimura had other paths available, including interest from San Antonio. A reporter noted the Spurs were among the teams in the mix before Hachimura settled on Los Angeles, and the way that market shifted afterward is part of what gives this decision some lingering intrigue. If Hachimura doesn't deliver in the role the Clippers envision, the alternatives he passed on will only look more significant. [Read more 🡒]