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If there is one team in the Western Conference that is always right in the mix but has failed to get over the hump in recent years, it's the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite going on a run and making their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance during the shortened 2020-21 season, the Clippers have lost in the first round of the playoffs each of the last three years.
Steve Ballmer is an active owner in the sense that he is willing to pay any price for his team to win. His state-of-the-art facilities and $2 billion Intuit Dome investment prove such.
Unlike other owners, who try to dictate all the moves their organization makes, Ballmer has instilled a lot of confidence and trust in his leadership to make championship-defining roster decisions.
This offseason, the Clippers have done just that on the trade market and in free agency.
While Los Angeles was one of the best defensive teams in the league last season, a staple of Tyronn Lue's teams through the years, the Clippers found themselves struggling to produce on offense at times outside of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
Between turning the ball over and struggling to find productivity in their frontcourt, it became clear to Ballmer, executive Lawrence Frank, and the front office that it was vital to take big swings this offseason. This was especially true given that Harden declined his player option and Leonard is only under contract for two more years.
The Clippers understood their two-year timeline entering the offseason, and that is why this franchise's focus was on adding experience at every position to go all-in on pursuing a championship during the 2025-26 season.
Although this mindset ended up costing the Clippers key contributors like Norman Powell and Amir Coffey, Ballmer's team drastically improved with the likes of Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, and John Collins. Now, when you look at the Clippers' roster, there is a lot more firepower than just Harden and Leonard.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off a championship and may still be the best team in the league, but the Clippers have made it clear they, too, are a formidable group that isn't to be trifled with. Is this finally the year Los Angeles can be rid of their lackluster past and truly cement themselves as a title contender?
Did the Clippers just become West's deepest team?
When evaluating the last handful of NBA champions, one common denominator sticks out: depth.
This past season, the Thunder ran the table from start to finish as a young team with a very deep rotation of players at every position. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was obviously their catalyst and the league MVP, but Oklahoma City beat teams in more ways than one.
As good as some of the starting lineups have been for the NBA's previous champions, depth has always played an enormous role. This is even more true now, given the parity existing across the league and virtually every organization having All-Star-like talents.
The NBA has evolved into such a talent-rich league, which is why roster depth and skill at every position outweigh how many superstars a team can pair with one another. If you need an example of this, just look at the Phoenix Suns and the little success they found by choosing Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal as a three-headed monster over role players and key contributors.
The Clippers recognized their need to spread out skill at every position outside of Harden and Leonard this offseason, which is why the additions Frank and the front office made are vital.
As a result of Harden's generosity and taking a slight pay cut, the Clippers were able to sign three key contributors in free agency that all bring a unique set of skills to immediately aid the team's championship pursuit.
While still having Harden's playmaking and Kris Dunn's defensive tenacity in the backcourt, LA now has Paul's leadership and passing on the bench.
Even though Powell is no longer on the roster as the team's third go-to scoring option, he is replaced by a three-time All-Star and proven scoring weapon in Beal. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Beal is in a much better situation than he was in Phoenix since he will play freely and be allowed to make decisions with the ball in his hands next to Harden and Leonard.
Outside of Ivica Zubac, who took a major step forward last season, the Clippers have struggled to find consistent production in their frontcourt. Lopez gives the Clippers another key defensive big man who also has the ability to knock down perimeter shots, and Collins' athleticism supplies Los Angeles with an above-the-rim threat they've lacked in pick-and-roll sets.
Not to mention, Collins is a terrific slasher off the ball and is also a very underrated rebounder who quietly ranked inside the top 30 in rebounding during the 2024-25 season.
In addition to those the Clippers brought in this offseason, all being key veterans who understand their respective roles next to superstar talents, LA still has key factors like Nic Batum, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Derrick Jones Jr. on their bench.
Ty Lue finally has a legitimate 10- or 11-man rotation he can consistently count on, and all of these players bring a wealth of experience with them to the table.
While they may be older and could be more susceptible to injuries, the Clippers are definitely right there with the Thunder in terms of having the best depth in the Western Conference.
Outside of contending at the very top of the standings, the other big question facing the Clippers is whether they have officially killed the “little brother” title and surpassed the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.
Are Clippers or Lakers the best team in LA?
The goal in Los Angeles, for both the Clippers and Lakers, is to win by any means necessary.
These are two passionate organizations with very different histories, yet they have been on even ground with one another over the last few seasons. Both teams have been searching for ways to emerge as legitimate title contenders in a crowded Western Conference, and they enter the 2025-26 season as favorites to make the playoffs again as high-seeded teams.
Unlike the Lakers, who are built around two superstars in LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Clippers are truly focused on the team-first dynamic of their roster. This ideology has existed previously but has really come to fruition this offseason with former All-Stars and veteran talents joining without egos.
Paul, who is 40 years old and entering his 21st NBA season, is at peace with the idea of coming off the bench and not playing every game because he believes in what the Clippers have built. Instead of joining another team in free agency and possibly holding a greater role, the future Hall of Famer wanted to play in Los Angeles because of the team's opportunity.
“It was a no-brainer,” Paul said when being reintroduced by the franchise this offseason. “If I'm really honest, I wanted to get back and play here by any means necessary.”
Although Lopez has started with the Milwaukee Bucks over the last handful of years, winning a championship alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021, he is also at peace with the idea of contributing behind Zubac in his set role.
As for Beal, the main reason he chose the Clippers over others after securing a buyout from the Suns was because he believes this team has the talent to win the NBA Finals.
“I need a ring. I want one bad and I feel like I have a new life of rejuvenation, for sure — a new hunger,” Beal told Tamar Sher of KMOV in St. Louis this summer. “(I am) Excited about the opportunity. New city. New environment, but a hungry environment, too. I'm definitely excited about the opportunity to go win.”
Each of the Clippers' new additions keeps talking about how excited they are for the opportunity to play together, and they all have massive smiles on their faces while doing so.
This team's chemistry will be at an all-time high entering the 2025-26 season, and Ty Lue is a championship-proven head coach. Between their talent and experience in this league, the Clippers have everything they need to contend for a championship.
If this group stays healthy, there is no reason why the Clippers can't be right in the mix with the Thunder, while their cross-city counterparts try and figure out their problems.
BUY OR SELL HEADLINE: BUY — The Clippers have more depth, experience, and defensive intensity than the Lakers.
