2025–26 Los Angeles Clippers season
| 2025–26 Los Angeles Clippers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Tyronn Lue |
| General manager | Trent Redden |
| Owner | Steve Ballmer |
| Arena | Intuit Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 34–36 (.486) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Pacific) Conference: 9th (Western) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | FanDuel Sports Network West FanDuel Sports Network SoCal Nexstar Media Group[a] (9 simulcasts) |
| Radio | KLAC |
The 2025–26 Los Angeles Clippers season is the 56th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), their 48th season in Southern California, and their second season in Inglewood. The team had also hosted the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.
During the offseason, the Clippers made major changes to their roster, acquiring several All-Star veterans such as Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal, and reuniting with Chris Paul in his 21st and final season in the league, while retaining others such as James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Nicolas Batum. These additions resulted in the Clippers roster having an average age of 33.2 years, the oldest team in NBA history.[1] Guard and forward Norman Powell, who was on the verge of becoming an All-Star last season, was traded to the Miami Heat for Jazz forward John Collins to address the team's front court issues.[2] The promising off-season turned sour, when on September 2025, podcaster Pablo S. Torre reported of a potential salary cap circumvention surrounding Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and the now-bankrupt environmental company Aspiration paying Leonard unethically, which prompted a league investigation that would last throughout the season.[3][4]
Despite expectations of being a "dark horse" playoff contender in the Western Conference,[5] the Clippers quickly floundered during the season as front office mismanagement, injuries, and poor play from several key players crippled their competency.[6] Starting with a loss to the Utah Jazz on Opening Night, the Clippers went 5–16 in their first 21 games, the second-worst in their conference behind the New Orleans Pelicans,[7] coinciding with a 2–13 record in November which was regarded as the worst month in their franchise history.[8] Beal underperformed during the six of 10 games he appeared in before suffering a fractured hip on November 8 that was deemed season-ending.[9] Starter Derrick Jones Jr. was ruled out for at least six weeks after a sprained MCL on November 17th.[10] Bogdan Bogdanović continued to miss significant time due to a left hip contusion,[11] while Lopez and Paul fell almost completely out of the rotation. Collins was pushed to the starting lineup in response to the injuries, but their pair of losses to the Heat only furthered critic's concerns of his fit with the Clippers as opposed to Powell who was having a career year in Miami.[12] On December 3rd, Chris Paul was sent home during a road trip,[13] a move which was controversial and criticized.[14] After starting 6–21, the Clippers suddenly exploded and won 16 out of 19 games, obtaining a record of 22–24. By March 11th, the Clippers became the first team in NBA history to get above .500 after starting 15 games below .500.
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | Yanic Konan Niederhäuser | C | Switzerland | Penn State |
The Clippers entered the draft with a single first-round selection from a first-round swap with the Oklahoma City Thunder.[15][16] The team's original second-round pick had previously been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, who later dealt it to the Utah Jazz as part of the Luka Dončić–Anthony Davis trade.
Roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Roster Notes
- Center Brook Lopez is the 32nd former Lakers player to play for the Clippers.
- Guard Chris Paul makes his second tour of duty with the Clippers having played for them from 2011 to 2017. After 16 games, he was released on December 3, 2025.
Standings
Division
| Pacific Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ps – Los Angeles Lakers | 45 | 25 | .643 | – | 23–12 | 22–13 | 8–7 | 70 |
| ps – Phoenix Suns | 39 | 31 | .557 | 6.0 | 22–13 | 17–18 | 10–6 | 70 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 34 | 36 | .486 | 11.0 | 19–15 | 15–21 | 8–6 | 70 |
| Golden State Warriors | 33 | 37 | .471 | 12.0 | 19–15 | 14–22 | 6–6 | 70 |
| o – Sacramento Kings | 18 | 53 | .254 | 27.5 | 12–25 | 6–28 | 3–10 | 71 |
Conference
| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | y – Oklahoma City Thunder * | 55 | 15 | .786 | – | 70 |
| 2 | x – San Antonio Spurs * | 52 | 18 | .743 | 3.0 | 70 |
| 3 | ps – Los Angeles Lakers * | 45 | 25 | .643 | 10.0 | 70 |
| 4 | ps – Houston Rockets | 42 | 27 | .609 | 12.5 | 69 |
| 5 | ps – Denver Nuggets | 43 | 28 | .606 | 12.5 | 71 |
| 6 | ps – Minnesota Timberwolves | 43 | 28 | .606 | 12.5 | 71 |
| 7 | ps – Phoenix Suns | 39 | 31 | .557 | 16.0 | 70 |
| 8 | Portland Trail Blazers | 35 | 36 | .493 | 20.5 | 71 |
| 9 | Los Angeles Clippers | 34 | 36 | .486 | 21.0 | 70 |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | 33 | 37 | .471 | 22.0 | 70 |
| 11 | New Orleans Pelicans | 25 | 46 | .352 | 30.5 | 71 |
| 12 | Memphis Grizzlies | 24 | 45 | .348 | 30.5 | 69 |
| 13 | Dallas Mavericks | 23 | 47 | .329 | 32.0 | 70 |
| 14 | o – Utah Jazz | 21 | 49 | .300 | 34.0 | 70 |
| 15 | o – Sacramento Kings | 18 | 53 | .254 | 37.5 | 71 |
Game log
Preseason
| 2025 preseason game log Total: 3–1 (Home: 1–1; Road: 2–0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 3–1 (home: 1–1; road: 2–0)
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| 2025–26 preseason schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
| 2025–26 game log Total: 34–36 (Home: 19–15; Road: 15–21) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 3–2 (home: 3–0; road: 0–2)
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November: 2–13 (home: 0–7; road: 2–6)
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December: 6–6 (home: 4–1; road: 2–5)
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January: 11–4 (home: 6–1; road: 5–3)
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February: 5–6 (home: 1–4; road: 4–2)
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March: 7–5 (home: 5–2; road: 2–3)
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April: 0–0 (home: 0–0; road: 0–0)
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| 2025–26 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Cup
West Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4 | 4 | 0 | 499 | 453 | +46 | Advanced to knockout rounds |
| 2 | Memphis Grizzlies | 4 | 3 | 1 | 464 | 450 | +14 | |
| 3 | Los Angeles Clippers | 4 | 2 | 2 | 465 | 485 | −20 | |
| 4 | Dallas Mavericks | 4 | 1 | 3 | 455 | 476 | −21 | |
| 5 | New Orleans Pelicans | 4 | 0 | 4 | 465 | 484 | −19 |
Source: NBA
Transactions
Trades
| Date | Trade | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 26, 2025 | To Los Angeles Clippers
|
To New York Knicks
|
[17] |
| July 7, 2025 | Three-team trade | [18] | |
| To Los Angeles Clippers |
To Miami Heat | ||
To Utah Jazz
| |||
| February 4, 2026 | To Los Angeles Clippers
|
To Cleveland Cavaliers |
[19] |
| February 5, 2026 | Three-team trade | [19] | |
To Los Angeles Clippers
|
To Toronto Raptors | ||
To Brooklyn Nets
| |||
To Los Angeles Clippers
|
To Indiana Pacers |
[19] | |
- ^ LA Clippers will receive the pick if it's No. 5–9. If the pick doesn't convey, they'll receive Indiana's 2031 first-round pick.
Free agency
Re-signed
| Date | Player | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| July 6 | Nicolas Batum | [20] |
| July 6 | James Harden | [21] |
| July 29 | Jordan Miller (two-way contract, later converted to a standard 2-year contract on February 18) (previously waived on July 8) |
Additions
| Date | Player | Former Team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 6 | Brook Lopez | Milwaukee Bucks | [22] |
| July 18 | Bradley Beal | Phoenix Suns | |
| July 21 | Chris Paul | San Antonio Spurs | |
| August 11 | Jason Preston | Utah Jazz | |
| October 18 | Jahmyl Telfort (previously signed to training camp contract on June 27) |
Butler Bulldogs | |
| December 5 | RayJ Dennis (Two-way contract) |
Indiana Pacers | |
| December 27 | TyTy Washington Jr. (Two-way contract) (previously signed to training camp contract on October 14 and waived on October 18) |
San Diego Clippers | |
| January 16 | Patrick Baldwin Jr. (10-day contract) (previously signed to training camp contract on October 2 and waived on October 18) |
San Diego Clippers | |
| February 8 | Dalano Banton (10-day contract) |
Texas Legends | |
| February 20 | Sean Pedulla (Two-way contract) |
Rip City Remix | |
| February 20 | Norchad Omier (Two-way contract) |
Cleveland Charge |
Subtractions
| Player | Reason | New Team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patty Mills | Free agency | CB Canarias | [23] |
| Drew Eubanks | Waived | Sacramento Kings | [24] |
| Seth Lundy | Waived | TBD | |
| Amir Coffey | Free agency | Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Trentyn Flowers | Waived | Chicago Bulls | |
| Jason Preston | Waived | San Diego Clippers | |
| Jahmyl Telfort | Waived | San Diego Clippers | |
| RayJ Dennis | Waived | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Patrick Baldwin Jr. | Contract expired | Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Dalano Banton | Contract expired | Boston Celtics |
References
- ^ Walsh, Alex (July 30, 2025). "Clippers roster will set NBA record before season even starts". The Sporting News. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ Charania, Shams (July 7, 2025). "Powell to Heat, Collins to Clippers in three-team trade". ESPN. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ Vardon, Joe; Amick, Sam (September 4, 2025). "Kawhi Leonard, Clippers used endorsement deal to 'circumvent' NBA salary cap: Report". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
- ^ "NBA says it will open investigation into report that Clippers broke cap rules with Leonard deal". AP News. September 3, 2025. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
- ^ Wimbish, Jasmyn (November 12, 2025). "Bradley Beal injury: Clippers guard out for season in major blow for Los Angeles". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ Pina, Michael (December 3, 2025). "The Clippers Have Run Out of Rock Bottoms". The Ringer. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ Reynolds, Tim (December 2, 2025). "The Clippers have a slew of future Hall of Famers. And at 5-16, they have a slew of problems". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ Murray, Law (December 1, 2025). "Clippers hit rock bottom: Inside arguably the worst month in the franchise's 56-year history". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Murray, Law (November 14, 2025). "The Clippers are already collapsing. There's no room for error after Bradley Beal nightmare". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ "Sources: Clippers' Jones out at least 6 weeks". ESPN. November 17, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ "Clippers' Bogdan Bogdanovic: Won't play Wednesday". CBS Sports. December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ "What's wrong with the Clippers? Discussing the disastrous start of the most disappointing team in the NBA". CBS Sports. November 21, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ Chris Paul sent home by Clippers in shocking late-night move. Associated Press. December 3, 2025. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ^ Herbert, James (December 3, 2025). "The Clippers did Chris Paul dirty". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ Quinn, Sam (May 12, 2025). "2025 NBA Draft order, Lottery results: Mavericks win No. 1 pick with long odds, will likely take Cooper Flagg". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "2025 NBA Draft Order: Picks 1-59". NBA.com. May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ "LA Clippers Acquire Draft Rights to Kobe Sanders". NBA.com. June 26, 2025. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
- ^ "Clippers Acquire John Collins in a Three-Team Trade". NBA.com. July 7, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ a b c NBA.com staff. "2025-26 NBA Trade Tracker: Every official deal". NBA. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ "LA Clippers Re-sign Nicolas Batum". NBA.com. July 7, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "LA Clippers Re-sign 11-Time All-Star James Harden". NBA.com. July 7, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "LA Clippers Sign Brook Lopez". NBA.com. July 6, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "Patty Mills Signs With La Laguna Tenerife". hoopsrumors.com. March 8, 2026. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "Kings' Drew Eubanks: Waived by LAC, moving to Sacramento". CBS Sports. July 1, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.