The Clippers are heading toward the 2026-27 season with modest expectations, and a lot of the conversation is already centered on the fifth overall pick, Keaton Wagler, especially if the trade involving Kawhi Leonard goes through.
But if LA is going to climb out of the low-expectation tier and actually threaten the playoff picture, it won’t just be about the rookie spotlight. It will come down to three players making real jumps under Tyronn Lue.
Jordan Miller is one of the names that can move the needle. Last season, he earned his way into a bigger role after not opening the year with the minutes he deserved, and once the opportunity came, he delivered.
In 60 games, the 26-year-old put up 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 53.1% from the field and 34.5% from deep. For a former second-round pick in year three, those numbers are impressive.
Still, the Clippers need more than a solid season from him. If Miller can give them efficient 15-plus point scoring and hold up defensively, LA starts to look a lot more dangerous.
Kobe Sanders is another player the Clippers need to level up fast. After a promising rookie season, the usual sophomore-leap buzz is already attached to him, and for good reason.
This is the stage where young players take what they learned and turn it into real production. Sanders averaged 7.3 points, shot 46.6% from the field and 40.8% from three, and he’ll likely be asked to do even more in a larger bench role.
That kind of increase is exactly what LA needs if it wants to surprise people.
And then there’s Darius Garland, the player who ultimately looms largest over everything. Brandon Ingram is expected to be the first option from the jump, assuming the trade with the Toronto Raptors ends up as successful, but Garland is the one who can take over that role soon after.
The Clippers’ ceiling next season rides on him. If he repeats something close to a 20-point, eight-assist season, the best LA can probably hope for is the ninth or tenth seed.
If he explodes and consistently puts up 25 to 30 efficient points, then suddenly the sixth seed is in play.
That’s the reality for the Clippers: their path upward isn’t about one big name carrying them. It’s about three players taking a massive step at the right time.
In Other News...
Clippers Suddenly Face A Mathurin Decision They Can't Ignore
Late August has a way of turning restricted free agency into a waiting game, and the Clippers are still in it with Bennedict Mathurin. After bringing him in from Indiana as part of the Ivica Zubac trade, Los Angeles has not yet locked down the next step, leaving one of its most notable offseason pieces sitting in a familiar but uncomfortable limbo.
The broader market shows how messy these cases can get. Jalen Duren is still unsigned in Detroit, where contract talks have been complicated by his playoff showing, his eligibility for a bigger maximum deal and the lack of appealing alternate paths, while the Pistons have also stayed away from sign-and-trade routes despite outside interest. Mathurins situation has not been framed with the same clarity, which only makes the Clippers decision more delicate as the calendar keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Already Have A Real Max Strus Decision Looming
Max Strus is already one of the more interesting new faces in the Clippers rotation mix after arriving in the multi-team deal with Cleveland. He gives Los Angeles exactly the kind of immediate help it tends to value from the wing spot, a proven three-point threat who can fit quickly without needing the ball to make an impact.
The longer-term wrinkle is where this gets tricky. Strus is on a deal that runs through next summer, which gives the Clippers a built-in decision point if they decide roster flexibility matters more than keeping him around beyond the season. If he shoots it the way they expect, he could become useful on the court and movable in trade talks, which is the kind of double-edged value front offices usually notice well before deadline season. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Ingram Would Arrive With Plenty To Prove In LA
Brandon Ingram is poised to land with the Clippers after a trade with Toronto, and the move would put him right into a team that wants to see whether he can fit cleanly into Tyronn Lues system. For Los Angeles, the appeal is obvious: a talented scorer with enough size to matter on the wing, but also a player whose next step has to come inside a winning environment rather than just on paper.
What makes the situation interesting is the pressure attached to it. Ingram would be arriving with plenty to prove if he wants the Clippers to view him as more than a short-term fit, because the conversation around him is already tied to what happens next, not just what he does right away. If he does not meet expectations, Los Angeles could be back in the market again sooner than anyone would like. [Read more 🡒]