Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2026 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Los Angeles Clippers.
Free agent signings
Rui Hachimura: Two years, $28,000,000. Second-year team option. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Jordan Miller: Three years, $15,300,000. Second year non-guaranteed. Third-year team option. Includes trade kicker (3%). Re-signed using Bird rights.
Bradley Beal: Two years, $13,170,840. Second-year player option (partially guaranteed for $3,373,020). Includes trade kicker (15%). Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
Kobe Sanders: Four years, $11,279,212. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
Yuki Kawamura: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 9/10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Trades
Acquired the draft rights to Narcisse Ngoy (No. 57 pick) and cash ($1.5MM) from the Hawks in exchange for the draft rights to Henri Veesaar (No. 52 pick).
Acquired the draft rights to Nick Martinelli (No. 55 pick) from the Rockets in exchange for cash ($1,964,000).
Acquired the Pistons’ 2030 second-round pick (top-55 protected) from the Pistons in a six-team trade in exchange for John Collins (sign-and-trade; to Pistons) and cash ($1.1MM; to Bucks).
Acquired Johni Broome and a “second-most favorable” 2027 second-round pick from the Sixers in exchange for cash ($1MM).
Acquired Max Strus from the Cavaliers in a five-team trade in exchange for a “second-most favorable” 2027 second-round pick (to Wizards) and the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate (to Cavaliers).
Acquired Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, the Raptors’ 2031 first-round pick, the Raptors’ 2033 first-round pick, the Raptors’ 2030 second-round pick, the Raptors’ 2033 second-round pick, and a 2027 first-round pick swap from the Raptors in exchange for Kawhi Leonard.
Draft picks
1-5: Keaton Wagler
Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $43,958,323). First two years guaranteed. Third- and fourth-year team options.
2-36: Baba Miller
Signed to four-year, $9,612,515 contract using second-round pick exception. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
2-55: Nick Martinelli
Signed to two-way contract.
2-57: Narcisse Ngoy
Will play college basketball at Auburn.
Two-way signings
Two years, $91,000 partial guarantee (will increase to $339,441 at start of regular season).
Second year non-guaranteed (will increase to maximum two-way protection amount on June 29, 2027 and to 50% at start of regular season).
Two years, $91,000 partial guarantee (will increase to $339,441 at start of regular season); second year non-guaranteed.
Two years, $91,000 partial guarantee (will increase to $339,441 at start of regular season); second year non-guaranteed.
Departed/unsigned free agents
Other roster moves
Salary cap situation
Note: Figures are rounded to one decimal place.
Operating over the cap ($165MM) and below the first tax apron ($209MM).
Hard-capped at first apron.
Team salary: $185.4MM (tax/apron).
Below luxury tax line by $15.1MM; below hard cap by $23.7MM.
Partial non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($1MM) and full bi-annual exception ($5.5MM) available.
Five traded player exceptions available (largest worth $3.2MM).
The offseason so far
The Clippers signaled ahead of the February deadline that they were ready to overhaul their roster, having traded James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland and a second-round pick and then sending Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown to Indiana for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, first-round picks in 2026 and 2029 and a 2028 second-rounder.
That 2026 first-round pick was top-four protected, and the Pacers lost what amounted to a coin flip at the draft lottery, with the pick landing at No. 5, just outside of the protected range. The Clippers added promising young guard Keaton Wagler with that selection, and are hoping the former Illinois star can become a long-term cornerstone.
Wagler showed plenty of promise in his lone season with the Illini, having averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists on .445/.397/.796 shooting in 37 games (33.9 minutes per game). The 19-year-old, who earned numerous awards for his excellent play as a freshman, helped lead Illinois to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
While Los Angeles decided not to move star forward Kawhi Leonard in February, he reportedly pushed for a trade this summer after the team signaled it was unwilling to give him a contract extension. The Raptors, on the other hand, were interested in a longer-term deal with Leonard, and agreed to trade Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one first-round swap, and two second-rounders to the Clippers to acquire him.
However, Toronto decided to pause the blockbuster trade because the Clippers were still being investigated following allegations that they circumvented the salary cap to pay Leonard through “no-show” endorsement deals. The Raptors were waiting to see if Leonard would be punished as part of that agreement, since it would have impacted the deal.
Although Leonard was punished — he was fined $700K — his penalty paled in comparison to the hammer that was dropped on the Clippers. The investigation, which was led by an outside law firm, found overwhelming circumstantial evidence that the team initiated a series of endorsement deals for the 35-year-old forward with the intent to circumvent the cap.
The Clippers forfeited five first-round picks — including the 2029 first they acquired from Indiana — and were fined $30MM as part of the NBA’s punishment. Owner Steve Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker were suspended from all team activities for a year, while president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank is out of commission for six months.
The Clippers organization and personnel will also essentially be on probation for the next five years. According to the league, they’ll be “subject to a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the league office” during that time.
While Ballmer and the Clippers initially lashed out at the league for its decision, Ballmer has since said he’ll accept the punishment, even if he disagrees with some of the findings in the report. It’s worth noting that the team is still the subject of a Department of Justice investigation as a result of its dealings with Leonard.
Ballmer’s compliance eventually cleared the way for the trade to go through, and the deal was finalized last week, two-and-a-half months after the terms were initially agreed upon.
Obviously, the NBA’s investigation and the Leonard trade were the major storylines of the Clippers’ offseason. But they were busy reshaping their roster while they waited for the league’s investigation to conclude.
In addition to Wagler, the Clips added Baba Miller (36th overall pick), Nick Martinelli (55th) and Narcisse Ngoy (57th) in June’s draft. Miller signed a four-year standard contract and Martinelli is on a two-way deal, while French big man Ngoy reportedly plans to play for Auburn this season — if that comes to fruition, he’ll essentially be a domestic draft-and-stash prospect.
The Clippers re-signed Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders to relatively team-friendly contracts in restricted free agency, but decided to let Mathurin walk, having withdrawn their qualifying offer to let him sign a two-year, $15.4MM deal with New Orleans.
Veteran guard Bradley Beal was re-signed as well. The terms were pretty surprising, considering the 33-year-old essentially missed all of last season due to a hip injury and was ineffective in his six appearances — he received a two-year, $13.2MM deal using his Non-Bird rights.
Other new additions include Rui Hachimura ($28MM over two years in free agency), Max Strus (via trade; the Clippers essentially gave up a second-round pick to acquire him) and Johni Broome (also via trade; the Clippers added a second-rounder in the deal).
Up next
The stiff punishment the league handed down will hang over the Clippers for the foreseeable future. But in the short term, they have to figure out who will make the regular season roster.
As of Sunday, the Clippers have 16 players on guaranteed contracts, with Cam Christie on a non-guaranteed deal and Yuki Kawamura on an Exhibit 10 contract for training camp. Those two seem likely to be waived before the season begins, with Broome perhaps the final roster cut.
The Clippers are also a candidate to make a trade or two to solve the roster crunch, but Broome is only owed $2.15MM in guaranteed money and the team is in a decent spot financially. L.A. could easily eat that relatively small salary and move on with its other business.
With $15.1MM in space below the luxury tax line and several players on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts, the Clippers’ roster could look substantially different after the February trade deadline.
Notable extension-eligible players include Strus, Dick, Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn. Dick’s eligibility window closes on Oct. 19, while the other three will remain eligible through June 30, 2027. I wouldn’t be surprised if none of them receive new deals before the season begins.
Although Wagler and Garland appear to be long-term pieces in L.A., the overall direction of the team is murky with so many players on short-term deals. The Clippers could be a major player in 2027 free agency, depending on whether Ingram exercises his $41.9MM player option for 2027/28. Of course, that assumes he’ll still be on the roster by that point, which is far from a lock.
Luke Adams contributed to this article