The Los Angeles Clippers enter the 2026 NBA Draft holding three picks — No. 5, No. 36, and No. 52 — a portfolio that reflects both their lottery positioning and some savvy second-round acquisition. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projects the Clippers to address their backcourt at No. 5 and add depth in the later rounds, building around a young core that includes Darius Garland.

The headline pick is No. 5 overall, which originally belonged to the Indiana Pacers. Los Angeles acquired the pick from Indiana in the Ivica Zubac trade in February, with protection that meant the pick would transfer if it fell between 5 and 9. It landed exactly fifth — the best-case scenario for the Clippers. Wasserman projects Darius Acuff Jr. to Los Angeles at No. 5. The Arkansas freshman, a 6’3″ scoring guard who averaged 23.5 points per game with a 44 percent three-point mark, is the kind of on-ball creator Los Angeles has been seeking to play alongside Garland. Wasserman notes that Acuff’s measurements at the combine — 6’2″ barefoot with a 6’7″ wingspan — addressed size concerns, and his offensive efficiency at Arkansas is genuinely rare for an 18-year-old point guard.

The opportunity cost at No. 5 is Keaton Wagler, the Illinois guard CBS Sports and Tankathon project to the Clippers in their mocks. Wagler, a 6’6″ freshman who averaged 17.9 points and 4.2 assists per game, is a craftier playmaker with superior size and IQ. Wasserman’s preference for Acuff over Wagler here is a meaningful departure from CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein, who explicitly calls Wagler “the best fit alongside Darius Garland.” The divergence makes this one of the more interesting position-specific debates in the top five. Yahoo Sports projects Brayden Burries to the Clippers at No. 5, a third different name for the same slot.

At No. 36 — a pick received from the Memphis Grizzlies — Wasserman projects UConn senior Tarris Reed Jr. Reed, a 6’11” center, posted a rare 9.0 block percentage, 13.0 offensive rebounding percentage, and 15.0 assist percentage for UConn, combining paint dominance with surprising passing ability. Wasserman notes his combination of strength, paint touch, and rim protection should put him in first-round conversations for bigs-needy teams. At No. 52 — a pick acquired via the Cleveland Cavaliers — Wasserman slots in Louisville’s Ryan Conwell, a 6’4″ scorer who measured 6’2″ at the combine and will need to overcome size questions to carve out a shooting specialist role.

The Clippers’ three picks work together well. Acuff gives them a primary shot-creator to develop alongside Garland. Reed provides paint presence and rebounding energy. Conwell adds off-ball scoring depth at the minimum cost of a late second-rounder.

The overarching logic of this draft path hinges on Acuff’s long-term fit. If he and Garland can share a backcourt — with Acuff taking defensive assignments at the two while Garland initiates offense — Los Angeles has a young backcourt with complementary skill sets and room to grow. Taking the highest-ranked available player at No. 5 and addressing size with Reed at 36 is smart, efficient draft management for a franchise building toward relevance in the post-Kawhi Leonard era.

Outlet	Projected Player
Bleacher Report	Darius Acuff Jr. (No. 5)
CBS Sports	Keaton Wagler (No. 5)
Tankathon	Keaton Wagler (No. 5)
Yahoo Sports	Brayden Burries (No. 5)