The NBA did not let the LA Clippers off lightly.
After a nearly year-long investigation, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed that the NBA has stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks as part of the franchise’s punishment for violating salary cap circumvention rules related to the 2019 signing of Kawhi Leonard.
The announcement impacts a number of teams, including the Boston Celtics, who control one of LA’s future first-round draft picks.
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What picks did the Clippers lose?
The Clippers have forfeited first-round picks in the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 NBA Drafts.
The Clippers’ pick controlled by the Celtics is in 2028, so it’s not affected by the punishment.
The Celtics acquired the Clippers’ pick from the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the Jaylen Brown trade this offseason. It’s one of four picks they acquired in the deal.
What are the protections around the pick?
The protections around the Clippers’ pick will make your head spin.
Seriously, look at this:
For full clarity, here are the various options for the 2028 swap/pick the Celtics got in the trade with the Sixers:
1. If LAC is 1-16 AND PHI is 1-8, then BOS gets the best of LAC/PHI/[lesser of BOS (top-1 protected)/SAS]
2. If LAC is 1-16 and PHI is 9-30, then BOS gets the…
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 2, 2026
Keith Smith does an excellent job of making cap things understandable, so if you read that and are even more confused, that should tell you how complicated all of this is.
As I understand it, the simple version is this:
If LA’s pick falls to 17-30, Boston gets its 2028 first-round pick.If LA’s pick is in the top 16, Boston gets a valuable swap opportunity involving the Clippers’ and 76ers’ 2028 first-round picks and the less favorable of Boston’s and San Antonio’s first-round picks.
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So the Celtics are getting an amazing pick?
Not necessarily.
Some have been led to believe the Celtics are guaranteed a top-three pick out of this, but that’s not the case.
Let’s start with the good news.
The Clippers finished ninth in the Western Conference standings last season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them take a step back this upcoming season. They are now expected to finalize their trade of Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, and they have fewer means to improve the roster after losing five first-round picks.
They likely won’t be much better the following season. The Clippers have some young players who could improve, but it’s hard to imagine them contending in the Western Conference with the roster they have.
So it could be a rough couple of seasons for the Clippers.
Now, for the bad news.
The new NBA Draft Lottery rules make it hard to predict how valuable a pick will be. Not only have the odds been flattened, but a team can’t pick in the top five three years in a row.
The Clippers had the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. If they get a top-five pick again in 2027, they can’t earn a top-five pick in 2028, when the Celtics could get their pick.
That could still turn into a valuable pick. It just might not be the slam dunk some think it will be.
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What should I make of all this then?
As Keith Smith wrote on X, Celtics fans should root against the Clippers, Sixers and Spurs in 2028.
If nothing else, today’s news makes it even easier for Celtics fans to root against the Clippers.
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