Executives Split on How Clippers Should Respond to 6–16 Opening
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The Los Angeles Clippers’ 6-16 start has prompted widespread debate among NBA scouts and front-office officials, according to a report by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst.
ESPN surveyed league personnel on the franchise’s best course of action, and no clear consensus emerged. One executive quipped that the topic interests nearly every team because the Clippers owe the Oklahoma City Thunder an unprotected first-round pick in 2026. “We might need to get everyone in the league on a Zoom and brainstorm some ideas,” the executive said, adding that Thunder general manager Sam Presti should be excluded from the call.
Opinions on a potential turnaround diverge sharply. Several executives advocate for in-season trades, though they differ on whether Los Angeles should buy or sell. Others recommend patience, arguing that the roster featuring Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac is more talented than its early record indicates.
“There are several teams ahead of them in the standings that are eventually going to tank,” one veteran executive told ESPN. “They won’t admit it now, but there are stealth tankers already at play.”
A Western Conference scout echoed the wait-and-see approach. “It’s got to be better than this,” the scout said. “Tyronn Lue is a great coach. With Zubac, Harden and Kawhi, you’re too talented to be this bad all season. You have to hold. We’ve only seen 22 games of it.”
For now, the Clippers remain caught between competing strategies as they search for a solution to their sluggish start.
Source: Hoops Wire
