With CP3 now gone and Bradley Beal out for the season, the trio of Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac is most important on the Clippers.
To start fresh, the organization would need to trade them away, and according to DallasHoopsJournal, they’ve received trade offers for the trio.
“The Los Angeles Clippers are rejecting trade offers for Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac. The Clippers are 6-20,” a source told Ashish Mathur of the DallasHoopsJournal.
But why are the Clippers rejecting the trade offers? Well, one reason is to avoid giving a lottery pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“They are in 14th place in the Western Conference standings, but since their 2026 first-round pick goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the front office doesn’t want to blow up the roster,” Mathur added.
However, that’s not all: The Clippers are reportedly waiting for one star to return from injury to make a late push this season.
LA Clippers believe an NBA Play-In Tournament spot is possible after Derrick Jones Jr.’s return
Despite having the majority of their roster healthy, the Clippers are apparently waiting for Derrick Jones Jr. to get healthy in hopes of making a late-season push to clinch a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
“LAC still believes it can make a run for a play-in spot once forward Derrick Jones Jr. comes back from his knee injury,” Mathur concluded.
Prior to suffering a sprained MCL in his right knee, Jones Jr. was averaging 10.5 points, 24 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game for the Clippers.
These aren’t massive numbers, but the organization is desperately trying to make a comeback during the remainder of the season.
Will they succeed in doing so and avoid giving a lottery pick to the Thunder during the heavily loaded 2026 NBA Draft? Only time will tell.