Clippers trade – Los Angeles Clippers offseason plans hinge on Kawhi Leonard’s future and a league investigation. GM Lawrence Frank wants to build around Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland, and the team’s draft picks, cap space, and trade flexibility could allow a high-impact mo
For the Los Angeles Clippers, the offseason doesn’t start with a press conference. It starts with uncertainty—Kawhi Leonard’s future, the league investigation hanging over the franchise, and the obvious problem of trying to build a contender without knowing exactly what the roster needs to become.
GM Lawrence Frank would ideally like to build around Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland. and the organization has hinted at that direction after the season. The Clippers also have real tools to make it happen: the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. multiple future first-round picks they can trade. some cap space this summer. and matching salary flexibility to pull off a splash.
If the Clippers decide to go all-in, they can. The bigger question is who fits the need they keep running into: shooting.
One move that could connect those dots involves Michael Porter Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets. Porter Jr. is entering the final year of his contract that pays him $40.8 million for next season. The Nets. where long-term extension plans are unlikely at this stage. would presumably have little interest in tying themselves to a deal beyond that.
That’s where the Clippers’ opportunity could form.
Porter Jr. is the kind of forward Los Angeles would want—he fills a clear roster need and would be available rather than requiring a long. complex chase. The trade framework being discussed would center on a sign-and-trade involving Bennedict Mathurin. Brooklyn would have a reason to like Mathurin’s upside if he’s signed to a multi-year deal paying between $15 million and $20 million annually. making the structure legally viable.
The Clippers would also look to align salaries by exercising Brook Lopez’s team option and using him as matching salary. Letting Derrick Jones Jr. go would hurt, but the idea is that Los Angeles could accept that cost as the price of upgrading to Porter Jr.
Draft positioning would likely matter too. The Nets own the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft, so swapping those picks could be part of what gets a deal done. After that, the Clippers could send a future first-round pick to entice Brooklyn into moving Porter Jr.
It’s a big swing, and it comes with obvious risks. Porter Jr. would require a contract extension. and given the veteran forward’s injury concerns. there’s a chance any deal could age poorly. Still, the counterweight is hard to ignore: Porter Jr. is one of the best shooters in his position. and since joining Brooklyn he has shown enough self-creation that he’s more than just a spot-up threat.
For the Clippers, that matters because shooting has been a clear weakness for the team. If they want to become a serious contender next season. they have to add more shooters around Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland. Bringing elite shooting from the power forward position would be an immediate offensive boost—something that doesn’t just change spacing on paper. but changes how defenses can play the lineup.
Porter Jr. may not be the single best player Los Angeles could target this summer. But as a fit, he lines up with the need, the timing, and the kind of move the franchise would have the assets to attempt.
The offseason uncertainty may be the obstacle. The roster-building logic may be the path.
Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard Darius Garland Michael Porter Jr. Brooklyn Nets Bennedict Mathurin Brook Lopez Derrick Jones Jr. 2026 NBA Draft offseason trade