The Los Angeles Clippers will enter the 2026-27 season without Kawhi Leonard, but the organization's expectations have not changed despite officially trading the star forward back to the Toronto Raptors.
NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed during the latest episode of Bleacher Report's âÂÂInsider Notebookâ that Los Angeles has spent the offseason attempting to construct a roster capable of reaching the playoffs.
âÂÂTo prognosticate where the Clippers are trying to be next summer is very difficult,â Fischer said. âÂÂAll I know right now is that all summer long and through today the Clippers have been focused on building out a playoff caliber team for this season. And that has been the goal of Los Angeles throughout the entirety of Steve BallmerâÂÂs stewardship to want to contend for a playoff hunt and try to be a team that can win any given night in Intuit Dome.âÂÂ
That goal will face an immediate test following Leonard's departure. Los Angeles sent the two-time Finals MVP to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple draft picks, officially closing Leonard's seven-year tenure with the franchise.
The Clippers missed the playoffs last season after losing to the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In Tournament. However, Los Angeles still finished 42-40 despite a disastrous 6-21 start.
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â APHoops (@APH00PS) September 15, 2026
The organization will now attempt to build on that turnaround with a revamped roster.
All-Star guard Darius Garland will enter his first full season with Los Angeles after the Clippers acquired him from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for James Harden at February's trade deadline. No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler will also join the rotation, while Ingram and Dick give the Clippers two additional pieces following the Leonard trade.
Clippers face difficult Western Conference playoff path without Kawhi Leonard
Reaching the playoffs, however, could require Los Angeles to navigate another crowded Western Conference.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have represented the West in the past two NBA Finals, with Oklahoma City winning the championship in 2025. The Minnesota Timberwolves have added LaMelo Ball, while the Los Angeles Lakers reshaped their roster around younger talent and acquired Walker Kessler after LeBron James departed for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Houston Rockets remain led by Kevin Durant, while Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks headline the Phoenix Suns. Portland also added Ja Morant, with Damian Lillard expected to return healthy for the Trail Blazers this season.
That depth leaves little margin for error and makes a direct playoff berth difficult to project for Los Angeles.
Garland and Ingram give the Clippers two proven scorers, while Dick and Wagler provide younger pieces who could help accelerate the franchise's transition away from Leonard. That should give Los Angeles enough talent to remain competitive on a nightly basis, particularly after the team recovered from a 6-21 start to finish 42-40 last season.
However, the Clippers' ceiling will depend heavily on how quickly the revamped roster comes together and whether its younger players can make an immediate impact. In a Western Conference with several established contenders and other teams making significant offseason additions, Los Angeles appears more likely to battle around the Play-In cutoff than secure a top-six seed.
A finish around 10th or 11th in the Western Conference appears realistic entering the season, which would put the Clippers directly on the edge of Fischer's description of a playoff-caliber team. Finishing 10th would at least give Los Angeles an opportunity to reach the postseason through the Play-In Tournament, while 11th would leave the franchise narrowly outside the postseason picture.
The Clippers have enough talent to remain competitive without Leonard. Turning that roster into an actual playoff team, however, could prove much more difficult than simply staying in the hunt.