Clippers Eyed as NBA Trade 'Sellers' by Insiders in New Rumors amid Slow Start

Amid a 1-7 start that has them tied for the worst record in the NBA, the Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as a potential seller as teams begin to think about moves they want to make.

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon , multiple scouts and league executives have cited the Clippers as "likely sellers" given their current situation.

The Clippers have four players on expiring contracts who would likely have at least some level appeal to playoff contenders. That group includes Max Strus, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr. and Brook Lopez.

Rui Hachimura is another potential pending free agent with a $14 million team option for 2027-28.

After trading Ivica Zubac prior to the trade deadline last season and Kawhi Leonard over the summer, the Clippers signaled they were turning the page on the previous era and wanted to look toward the future.

The Clippers' future is complicated due to the discipline levied by the NBA due to salary-cap circumvention involving endorsement deals given to Leonard.

Their punishment included forfeiting five first-round draft picks from 2029 to '33. Their 2027 and 2028 first-round selections are tied up in swap deals, so they won't control their own top pick again until 2034.

The Leonard trade did help mitigate some of the sting because the Clippers acquired unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and '33 from the Toronto Raptors in the deal.

It will be interesting to see how the Clippers go about using those picks — either holding onto them, or trying to package them for help — because their current roster has not shown the ability to compete in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles has lost seven straight games after beating the Sacramento Kings in the season opener. The Clippers rank 21st in net rating and are one of five teams with just one victory so far in 2026-27.