Can James Harden and Kawhi Leonard lead a veteran, star-studded Clips roster to an NBA title? (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images)
Get Caught Up
2024-25 Record: 50-32 (5th in West, lost in First Round)
The Clippers surged into the playoffs on an 18-3 run, earning the No. 5 seed with a second straight 50+ win season. James Harden was an All-Star, Kawhi Leonard looked sharp in his return from a knee injury, and Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell had career seasons.
But for the third consecutive season, the Clippers’ postseason push ended in the first round (this time to the Denver Nuggets in Game 7). After a busy offseason that saw the addition of depth at key places, L.A. is hoping it can reach new heights in 2025-26.
Offseason
- Re-signing: Nicolas Batum, James Harden (extension)
- Additions: Bradley Beal (free agent), John Collins (trade), Brook Lopez (free agent), Chris Paul (free agent), TyTy Washington Jr. (free agent)
- Draft: Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (30th pick), Kobe Sanders (50th pick, acquired via trade)
- Departures: Amir Coffey (free agent), Drew Eubanks (waived), Seth Lundy (waived), Norman Powell (trade)
- Unsigned Free Agents: Patty Mills, Ben Simmons
The Clippers retooled around Leonard and Harden this summer, beginning with Harden signing a reported two-year deal. LA then traded Powell — its second-leading scorer after Harden — in a three-team swap that brought stretch John Collins in from the Utah Jazz.
To replace Powell in the backcourt, the front office signed three-time All-Star Bradley Beal after his buyout with Phoenix and brought back 12-time All-Star Chris Paul in free agency. Brook Lopez also joined the mix, adding another floor-spacer alongside Collins in the frontcourt.
The summer’s moves give the Clippers one of the league’s deepest collections of veteran talent — but will it be enough to compete with the top teams in the West?
“It was a no-brainer.”@CP3 on the decision to return to the Clippers and compete for a championship 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4xCEgzidWa
— NBA (@NBA) July 28, 2025
Chris Paul on the decision to return to the Clippers and compete for a championship 🔥
X-factor
James Harden. He remains one of the most prolific playmakers in the game.
In his 16th season, he was one of four players to average more than 22 points and eight assists per game while shooting 35% or better on 3-pointers. Only Nikola Jokić, Cade Cunningham and LeBron James accomplished that feat in 2025-26. He also orchestrated one of the league’s most effective guard-big pairings, assisting Zubac 209 times, the highest total among any NBA duo.
After surpassing Ray Allen for No. 2 in all-time 3-pointers made, Harden is closing in on more milestones. He’s 603 points shy of Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony (28,289) for 10th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, and 909 points away from Shaquille O’Neal (28,596).
Harden will also have a healthy Leonard alongside him.
After missing the first 34 games due to lingering knee issues, Leonard returned for 37 outings last year. In those outings, both Harden’s points and assists per game increased, and L.A. was 26-11.
> Watch James Harden on NBA League Pass
One key question
Can the Clippers’ new backcourt additions lift their offense to the next level?
L.A. ranked third in defensive rating last season, but were 20th in scoring (112.9 ppg). It also finished 25th in 3-pointers made. The Clippers must replace Powell’s 21.8 ppg as well as his team-best three 3-pointers per game and 41.8% 3-point shooting.
Enter Beal and Paul, two former All-Stars tasked with easing the offensive burden on Harden and Leonard. Beal provides off-ball shooting and scoring versatility, while Paul brings distribution and floor management to a team that averaged the fourth-fewest passes per game last season.
With their backcourt bolstered by Beal and Paul, plus frontcourt shooting from Collins and Lopez, the Clippers will hope their new veteran pieces mesh. If it all clicks, the Clippers could be one of the West’s top contenders.
Fantasy Outlook from RotoWire
The team at RotoWire broke down the top fantasy options for each team in the West. Here’s how they broke down some of the best options from the Clippers:
“A healthy Kawhi Leonard and an excellent outcome for James Harden made the Clippers a difficult foe down the stretch, and they gave it all in a hard-fought first-round series against the Nuggets. Although they fell short in the postseason, the team is hard to count out if the superstar duo remains healthy. Although the Clippers lost Norman Powell in free agency, they added John Collins and also acquired Bradley Beal, who is the likely backcourt counterpart alongside Harden.”
Key dates
- Preseason Opener: Oct. 9 vs. Guangzhou Loong-Lions (10:30 ET, Broadcast TBD)
- Regular Season Opener: Oct. 22 at Jazz (9 ET, League Pass)
- Home Opener: Oct. 24 vs. Suns (10:30 ET, League Pass)
- Emirates NBA Cup West Group B Play: Oct. 31 vs. Pelicans (10:30 ET, League Pass), Nov. 14 at Mavericks (8:30 ET, League Pass), Nov. 25 at Lakers (11 ET, NBC & Peacock), Nov. 28 vs. Grizzlies (10 ET, League Pass)
- MLK Day: Jan. 19 at Wizards (3 ET, League Pass)
- Rivals Week: Jan. 22 vs. Lakers (10 ET, Prime)
What they’re saying
Law Murray, The Athletic: “They addressed their ballhandling issues with Bradley Beal, who replaces [Norman] Powell, and Chris Paul, who replaces Patty Mills. They addressed their frontcourt options with John Collins, who replaces Amir Coffey, and Brook Lopez, who replaces Ben Simmons. Their draft picks won’t be counted on, but they selected the most athletic center in Yanic Konan Niederhäuser, who replaces Drew Eubanks, and a 6-foot-9 guard in Kobe Sanders, who replaces Seth Lundy. They re-signed James Harden and Nicolas Batum, and Kawhi Leonard is healthy. The only legitimate complaint is that the team is older. But the Clippers are also deeper and better, and that is more relevant than age.” (Read More)
