1 First-Round Pick and 2 Swap Rights: Clippers Penalty Could Benefit 76ers and Thunder

Recently, the NBA announced penalties related to the Clippers and Leonard's contract violation case.

The Clippers were fined $30 million and stripped of five future first-round draft picks. Team owner Ballmer, business operations president Gillian Zucker, and basketball operations president Frank were also suspended.

However, in addition to the major punishment announced by the league, the Clippers still have outstanding draft obligations from previous transactions — they owe the Thunder one future first-round pick swap and owe the 76ers one first-round pick and one first-round pick swap.

It should be noted that these previous obligations did not come from the Paul George trade, but from the 2023 Harden trade. In that three-team deal, the Clippers acquired Harden. The details were as follows:

— The Clippers received James Harden, PJ Tucker, and Filip Petrusev.

— The 76ers received Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, a 2026 first-round pick (from the Thunder with top-four protection), an unprotected 2028 Clippers first-round pick, a 2029 Clippers first-round pick swap (top-three protection), a 2024 Clippers second-round pick, and a 2029 Clippers second-round pick.

— The Thunder received the Clippers' 2027 first-round pick swap.

In other words, from 2027 to 2029, the Clippers' own first-round picks remain affected. Even if the team enters a rebuild, it may not be able to secure a high draft position.

Looking at the Clippers' roster, after the Leonard trade (which has not yet been officially announced), their core players for next season include Garland, Derrick Jones Jr., Rui Hachimura, Brook Lopez, Beal, Dunn, Strus, Jordan Miller, and Wagler (this year's No. 5 pick), among others.

Objectively speaking, this roster may have limited competitiveness in the Western Conference. Next season, they are likely to miss the top eight and may even fail to reach the play-in tournament.

With control of some first-round assets from 2027 through 2029 already lost, the Clippers could have used future draft picks to strengthen the team, but the NBA penalty has further reduced their ability to improve and they may face a long period without their own first-round selections.

Under these circumstances, the biggest potential beneficiaries are the teams holding the Clippers' 2027 first-round pick swap, Clippers' 2028 first-round pick, and Clippers' 2029 first-round pick swap. The Clippers' 2028 first-round pick requires separate discussion.

Previously, in the Jaylen Brown trade, the 76ers sent a 2028 first-round pick to the Celtics, but the conditions for that pick are complicated:

— If the Clippers' 2028 first-round pick falls in the 17th to 30th range and the 76ers' 2028 first-round pick falls in the 9th to 30th range, the Celtics will directly receive the Clippers' first-round pick.

— If the above conditions are not met, the pick becomes a swap right, allowing the Celtics to choose the highest pick among the Clippers' 2028 first-round pick, the 76ers' 2028 first-round pick, and their own 2028 first-round pick (with additional detailed scenarios).

The 2028 draft is considered another strong draft class after 2026. Following the Clippers' penalty, the eventual beneficiaries could be the 76ers or the Celtics.

It should be noted that the Clippers do still have usable first-round picks, because in the Leonard trade (which has not yet been officially announced), they acquired unprotected first-round picks from the Raptors in 2031 and 2033.

However, in the previous Zubac trade, the Pacers' 2029 first-round pick acquired by the Clippers will replace their own first-round pick (with the Thunder holding a swap right) and be removed.

Lost assets are difficult to recover (unless the NBA returns some of the picks). In the author's personal view, the Clippers could lose their opportunity to seriously compete for championships over the next decade, and whether star players would want to join a team with limited future assets will become a question.

Additionally, in order to maximize the value of the 2029 first-round pick (top-three protection, with the 76ers holding the swap right), the Clippers may conduct a major rebuilding effort in the 2028-29 season, but current rules also make it less advantageous to intentionally lose games — the team faces significant challenges.