With the Los Angeles Clippers preparing for the 2025-26 season, there is no doubt that the headlines around the team have highlighted its unconventional ways of treating its cap space. As the rumors around the Clippers and star Kawhi Leonard will continue, an NBA insider has an idea that could land the team New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson.
Tom Haberstroh would speak on Yahoo Sports about the situation involving Los Angeles and Leonard by saying that, with the decision up in the air, if the team is disciplined, they have two first-round picks that are “available to be traded.” He would mention how the mindset could be to use the picks to go after a star.
“Lawrence Frank is like, ‘Okay, I don’t know if we’re guilty or not. They’re going to find us guilty or not of cap circumvention, but we have two first-round picks that we can trade right now.' So they have the 2030 and the 2032 available to be traded,” Habertstroh said. “And in a year’s time that could be gone.”
“So if you’re the Clippers and you see Fred VanVleet tearing his ACL and out for the season, that’s one contender that takes a step back here,” Haberstroh continued. “Do you take those first-round picks while you’re under investigation from the league office for cap circumvention?” Do you preempt all that and say we’re going to go out and hunt for a star?”
NBA insider theorizes Clippers going after Pelicans' Zion Williamson
While the rumors around the Clippers will continue to dominate the headlines, Haberstroh would mention the idea of Los Angeles going after Williamson with those two first-round picks.
“This is a situation that seems right for the picking in terms of Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans,” Haberstroh said. “For a big reason, Joe Dumars is the new president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans, and typically what happens when you get a new GM or head decision maker is they want to clean house and build this new team that they’re taking over for in their own image.”
At any rate, it remains to be seen if the Clippers go after Williamson as Haberstroh theorized as the team opens the regular season on Oct. 22 against the Utah Jazz. Los Angeles is looking to improve after finishing fifth in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record.
