Following their moves at the NBA trade deadline earlier this month, one might think that the Los Angeles Clippers are angling to tank for the remainder of the current campaign.

After all, the Clippers traded away two key contributors in James Harden and Ivica Zubac despite the fact that the team had been playing some of the best basketball in the entire league since the start of 2026.

Ty Lue remains confident in Clippers’ playoff chances 

But, according to head coach Ty Lue, that isn’t the case. The Clippers are taking the floor on a nightly basis aiming to win, regardless of roster construction.

“Man, we’re playing to win,” Lue said prior to the Clippers’ 125-122 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, via ESPN. “I don’t care if it’s young, old, toddlers … whoever’s on the floor, we’re trying to win. I mean, we’re trying to win. There’s no other reason to play.”

Despite their slow start to the season and recent roster changes, the Clippers are still in the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Following their loss to the Lakers, they sit ninth in the conference at 27-29, though even their own players don’t view them as legitimate contenders.

“I think it’s over now,” star forward Kawhi Leonard recently said of the Clippers’ ability to turn into a contender. “It’s a fourth of the season left. But every day is a day to grow. A day to learn and get better. So just gotta keep looking over time and see in two weeks if we’re getting better and see what happens from there.”

Regardless of Leonard’s outlook, Lue remains confident in his group and the team’s ability to qualify for postseason play.

“I just feel confident. I just feel confident in our players. I feel confident in our coaching staff and I just feel confident in the environment, like the culture we’ve set,” Lue said. “And why wouldn’t you want to play to win.

“That’s our mindset. That’s my mindset every single night. And as tough as it may be or you start 6-21 or whatever it may be, you’re playing to win. And so, we make the playoffs and then anything can happen. So, our goal is to make the playoffs and so I don’t know why somebody would scoff at that. … If we do, and if I get in the playoff series, I like my chances.” 

Not to knock Lue, but the Clippers haven’t won a playoff series since 2021, despite having more stacked rosters than they have currently. It’s tough to imagine this being the season the team is finally able to make a playoff run.

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