The 2019 Paul George trade continues to haunt the Los Angeles Clippers and benefit the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The trade handed the Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is on track to win back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player Awards this season. It also gave Oklahoma City five first-round picks and two swaps, including one for the 2026 NBA Draft.

Apr 8, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) is defended by Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) in the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Clippers’ 121-126 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In game on Wednesday has pushed Los Angeles’ 2026 first-round pick into the NBA Draft lottery. But Los Angeles will have to give up that lottery pick to Oklahoma City as the final piece of the George trade from 2019.

The Clippers’ pick will slot in at either No. 11 or No. 12 depending on whether the Warriors advance to the playoffs on Friday.

At the No. 12 slot, the pick has a “7.1 percent chance of jumping into the top four and a 1.5 percent chance of becoming the No. 1 pick”, according to The Athletic. At the No. 11 slot, the pick has a “9.4% chance to jump into the top four and a 2% shot at landing the No. 1 overall pick,” according to Oklahoma City’s News 9.

What Picks Will the Clippers Have in 2026?

Even though the Clippers owe their first-round pick to the Thunder, Los Angeles still has a chance to have one of the top picks in the first-round as a result of the Ivica Zubac trade with the Indiana Pacers in February.

The Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets have a 14% chance of earning the No. 1 pick in the draft, according to The Athletic. If the Pacers ‘ pick lands between No. 5 and No. 9, the Clippers will receive it as part of the Zubac trade.

The Clippers will find out on May 10 if they get the Pacers’ first-round pick.

Los Angeles is also guaranteed two second-round picks in the 2026 draft. The Clippers will get the No. 36 pick from the Memphis Grizzlies, and the No. 53 pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images