The 6-18 Los Angeles Clippers' abysmal 2025-26 NBA season might lead to an eventual fire-sale.
If Los Angeles' front office were to officially announce that they've given up on their latest iteration, star two-way center Ivica Zubac (15.9 points, 11.6 rebonds, 59.9% field goal percentage) would likely be a name to watch as a potential trade candidate along with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
In fact, a recent trade proposal from Bleacher Report's Dan Favale provides an example of how the Clippers could attempt to right previous wrongs by cutting ties with their 2025 All-Defensive Second Team selection, though it would allow two franchises that made it to the NBA Finals just one season ago to level up.
Through a massive hypothetical three-team trade including the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder and runner-up Indiana Pacers, Favale has Los Angeles shipping Zubac to the Pacers and three first-round picks to Oklahoma City.
Yes, the Clippers would provide the Thunder with even more first-round draft capital.
Although, there is a crystal clear motive for giving away a few distant future firsts (2030, 2031, 2032), as Los Angeles would reacquire their own 2026 and 2027 first-rounders from Oklahoma City in the deal.
Indiana would also supply Los Angeles with two young forwards in Jarace Walker and Isaiah Jackson, while the Thunder walk away with four future first-round picks and two second-rounders.
"Giving up control of Zubac and three first-rounders is a premium price for the Clippers to pay just to resecure their next two draft picks," Favale wrote Wednesday.
"But the cost is worth the prize."
"Those 2026 and 2027 first-rounders are more valuable to L.A. Than anyone else. That includes Oklahoma City."
"This buys the Clippers absolute freedom for the rest of this year (and next year) to hit reset and build a more sustainable core that's not beholden to age, injuries and placeholder timelines."
Though it's a hard shift from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer's winning attitude, landing their own 2026 and 2027 first-round draft selections would truly provide the franchise with genuine hope for a less turbulent future.
Along with the prospective acquisitions of the 22-year-old Walker and 23-year-old Jackson, the Clippers would be afforded a chance for new beginnings while hanging onto Harden and Leonard.
This would allow the franchise to choose more freely between holding onto hope of contending for a title in the present or dealing both future Hall of Famers for more future draft capital.
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