By Justin GrassoShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Los Angeles Clippers entered the 2025-2026 NBA season under fire. It’s unclear if the off-court drama has caught up to them, but they certainly aren’t coming close to meeting expectations early on.
Should the Clippers form a shakeup? As LA’s struggles persist, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus crafted a three-team mock trade, which would help the Clippers acquire another multi-time All-Star in DeMar DeRozan.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Clippers have some level of interest in the six-time All-Star.
...What’s the Deal?
This is a big one. In a three-team trade hypothetical between LA, the Sacramento Kings, and the Brooklyn Nets, the Clippers would acquire DeMar DeRozan and Keon Ellis from the Kings. Jalen Wilson would land on the roster, and they would collect an $8.75 million trade exception.
The Clippers would part ways with Kobe Brown (to Sacramento). Brook Lopez, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and a 2030 protected first-round pick would end up in Brooklyn via the Clippers.
...Should the Clippers Consider This Type of Deal?
Looking at a 5-15 record, the Clippers hardly look like a real contender in the Western Conference. Switches can be flipped, and experience could take over and help the Clippers put together a run to land back in the postseason picture, but they would need some luck in the health department to find some level of consistency.
Trusting Kawhi Leonard to stay in the mix for the long haul is a tough task. Plus, the Clippers banked on having Bradley Beal play a pivotal role this season. He’s out for the year due to an injury, which is a primary reason behind the Clippers’ reported interest in a possible DeRozan deal.
DeRozan is a solid player still, despite being on a losing team with his numbers down. In 21 games, he’s been hitting on 49 percent of his shots from the field to produce 18.4 points per game. He’s also accounting for 3.0 rebounds and dishing out 3.6 assists per game.
The unfortunate reality is that DeRozan’s production hasn’t boosted teams into contention lately. That’s not to say that his franchises’ struggles are all on him, but it’s a factor that has to make the Clippers think twice about a trade. Since leaving the San Antonio Spurs in 2021, DeRozan has seen the playoffs just once in four seasons. A betting man would probably place a wager on this season being five if DeRozan sticks with the current Sacramento roster.
On paper, the Clippers are built to win now, but they aren’t in a position where they should be thinking about giving up even more valuable future assets for another aging veteran. The blueprint hasn’t been successful. It doesn’t seem worth another significant gamble.
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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