Report: Clippers rebuffing trade offers as No. 5 pick draft board solidifies

The LA Clippers have been positioning themselves to select a high level player in the 2026 NBA Draft. Armed with the No. 5 overall pick in the Draft, the Clippers will have a plethora of options to choose from after the expected first four players are selected.

As Draft night gets closer, there has been increased rumblings about what the Clippers actually plan to do with their No. 5 overall pick. Will they trade it in an attempt to land a star? Will they trade it to acquire multiple other assets down the line? Will they keep it and start a new era of Clippers basketball?

According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Seigel, there’s an expectation that, not only are the Clippers expected to keep the pick come Draft night, but that players like Mikel Brown Jr. have leapfrogged Kingston Flemings.

“As reported on Monday, Mikel Brown Jr. has gained serious momentum among the group of backcourt talents as the second-best guard in the class behind Peterson. Brown is drawing serious interest from both the LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets, and as of last week, teams behind these two organizations are beginning to operate under the assumption that the Louisville guard won’t be an option for them in the draft.

“Although the Atlanta Hawks are viewed as another potential landing spot inside the top 10 for Brown, sources said it is looking like a “long shot” that he will be on the board then. Again, anything is possible, and it is smokescreen season after all. Still, interest from the Clippers and Nets in Brown is very real, with multiple sources from around the league briefing ClutchPoints on the matter.”

Siegel spoke with one NBA front office executive, who said that Brown Jr. has looked impressive in workouts.

“Watching him in the gym has been incredible,” one front office executive, granted anonymity to speak freely, whose team owns a top-10 pick, told ClutchPoints. “His back problems are a thing of the past, and he looks every bit like the second-best guard in this class behind Darryn (Peterson). As soon as you watch him, you can see the star potentially immediately.”

“There is real momentum surrounding Brown and the Clippers with the fifth pick. With this said, multiple sources said the Clippers have yet to finalize any decision with the No. 5 pick, with Keaton Wagler also still very much in play.

“While Kingston Flemings was a player sources told ClutchPoints that the Clippers held high interest in as well, it appears as if he’s been surpassed by Brown and Wagler — the two names in play for LA with the fifth pick.

“Teams have attempted to try and trade for this pick from the Clippers, but there have been no real conversations. The belief around the league right now is that the Clippers have determined who is at the top of their draft board.”

NBA Draft prospects AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson are expected to be selected in the top four of the NBA Draft, but everyone after them has felt very much up in the air as teams monitor what the Clippers do and how it impacts other players they’re interested in.

The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 23rd and 24th at Barclay’s Center.

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