The Clippers didn’t just replace John Collins. They may have upgraded the whole shooting profile of their frontcourt.
Collins gave Los Angeles a lot to like at power forward, especially with his perimeter touch. He hit 40.6% of his threes on 3.2 attempts per game, which is exactly why the Clippers wanted him back. But after he signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, LA pivoted to Rui Hachimura - and Hachimura brings an even more dangerous long-range game.
That matters because the Clippers already had one stretch big in Brook Lopez, who became the lead center after the Ivica Zubac trade. Lopez shot 36.0% on 4.2 attempts, so the team was never short on floor spacing with its starting bigs.
Collins and Lopez made life easier for James Harden when he was on the roster, and later for Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard as well. The paint stayed open, and opponents had to respect the shooting on both ends of the frontcourt.
Now LA is looking at an even sharper version of that setup.
Hachimura’s numbers with the Los Angeles Lakers were strong across the board. In 68 games, he shot 44.3% from three, and that alone is elite for his position. Then he took it up another level in the playoffs, where he became the Lakers’ top threat from deep and knocked down 56.9% of his threes on nearly six attempts per game.
He also had two separate five-three-pointer games, one against the Houston Rockets and another against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
So while Collins made the Clippers good in that area, Hachimura gives them a chance to be even better. Paired with Lopez, he gives LA a frontcourt built to stretch defenses to the breaking point.
In Other News...
Clippers Suddenly Face A Much Bigger Darius Garland Decision
The Clippers are staring at a far more complicated offseason than a typical roster shuffle after the NBA handed down major penalties for cap circumvention, including the loss of five first-round picks and a fine. With that kind of draft damage hanging over the franchise, every move has extra weight, and the front office is already thinking in terms of asset recovery as much as on-court fit.
Darius Garland has quickly become part of that conversation, with the Clippers reportedly exploring whether a trade could help replenish the pick supply they just watched disappear. They already added two first-rounders by moving Kawhi Leonard, but any Garland deal would need to bring back even more draft capital if Los Angeles is going to start clawing back from the leagues punishment. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Paul Reopens A Painful Clippers Debate Fans Wont Ignore
Chris Pauls latest public reflection on his Clippers exit brought an old wound back into view for a fan base that still remembers how abruptly that chapter ended. During an appearance on the Build or Break podcast, Paul revisited the difficult departure from Los Angeles and made clear that the breakup stuck with him long after he was gone, adding fresh weight to one of the franchises most uncomfortable what-ifs.
For Clippers followers, the timing only sharpens the memory of how that ending unfolded, with Paul traded to Toronto before ever taking the floor for the Raptors and later announcing his retirement without another game in that uniform. His comments have reopened questions about how the organization managed the breakup and why the final moments of a defining era still carry so much frustration. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Just Added Another Reason Veterans May Stay Away
The Clippers have already spent plenty of time trying to sell themselves as a destination, but that pitch gets a little harder when the organization is carrying long-term uncertainty and a growing list of veterans who may remember how things ended. Chris Paul began the season in Los Angeles before being moved at midseason, and the timing alone was enough to reopen an old conversation about how the franchise treats established players.
For a team that could be staring at a lottery future while owing its first-round pick for five straight years starting in 2029, reputation matters even more. Veteran free agents tend to look for stability, respect and a clear path to winning, and the Clippers now have to navigate both the basketball side of that equation and the lingering feeling that some players may not love the way business gets done there. [Read more 🡒]