The 2026 NBA Draft is only two days away. The Los Angeles Clippers, armed with the No. 5 pick, have one of the most fascinating decisions to make. On one hand, they want to be as competitive as possible, so trading the pick for immediate help makes some sense. On the other hand, there is so much uncertainty regarding the league’s cap circumvention investigation and Kawhi Leonard’s future with the team that it makes a win-now move highly risky.
This situation has naturally caused a ton of speculation heading into the draft. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto just added to it with Saturday’s reporting. Scotto said that the Clippers continue to be interested in Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics and can dangle their first-round pick in this year’s draft to acquire him.
What makes Scotto’s reporting interesting is the nugget he added about the Milwaukee Bucks’ strong interest in Keaton Wagler. This could force them to want to move up to No. 5 in the draft, which means that the Clippers can get involved as the third team in a Giannis Antetokounmpo-to-Boston trade and land Brown.
Jaylen Brown-Clippers Rumors Aren’t Dying Down
This isn’t the first time the Clippers have been connected to Brown. A three-team construction where Giannis heads to the Celtics, Brown becomes a Clipper, and the Bucks get a ton of draft capital has been on the radar of many reporters and fans. How advanced these trade talks are at this point is unclear since Antetokounmpo and Brown both have multiple suitors, including the Trail Blazers and the Heat.
If Antetokounmpo ends up in Boston, we can certainly expect the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes. Brown is reportedly not interested in playing for Milwaukee, and the Bucks may be better off receiving future assets instead of the soon-to-be 30-year-old anyway. When Brown inevitably hits the trade block following a Giannis deal, the Clippers have as good a chance as any team in the league to acquire him.
In a scenario where the Clippers don’t face any consequences for the Leonard situation and will keep Kawhi going forward, adding Brown would be a smart move. A Brown-Leonard duo on the wing would give them a puncher’s chance in the West if the Clippers can surround them with a good enough team.
Especially if the Clippers are able to keep Darius Garland out of that trade, they would have a formidable group. This would require them to give up all of their draft capital and their depth, including Bennedict Mathurin and John Collins. Considering that Leonard is about to turn 35 next week, perhaps this is the only way LA can hope to be relevant and competitive over the next couple of years.
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