Hanifan's Offseason Outlook: Evaluating the Los Angeles Clippers' 2025 offseason

For our second annual offseason outlook series, Hot Hot Hoops senior writer Matt Hanifan will provide his take on the offseasons of all 30 teams for the next 30 days! We have already completed the Eastern Conference, so we will proceed in alphabetical order with the West before capping it all off with the Miami Heat. Today, we will be evaluating the Los Angeles Clippers’ offseason.

Past Previews:

Sept. 1: Atlanta Hawks
Sept. 2: Boston Ce l tics
Sept. 3: Brooklyn Nets
Sept. 4: Charlotte Hornets
Sept. 5: Chicago Bulls
Sept. 6: Cleveland Cavaliers
Sept. 7: Detroit Pistons
Sept. 8: Indiana Pacers
Sept. 9: Milwaukee Bucks
Sept. 10: New York Knicks
Sept. 11: Orlando Magic
Sept. 12: Philadelphia 76ers
Sept. 13: Toronto Raptors
Sept. 14: Washington Wizards
Sept. 15: Dallas Mavericks
Sept. 16: Denver Nuggets
Sept. 17: Golden State Warriors
Sept. 18: Houston Rockets

Evaluating the Los Angeles Clippers’ 2025 offseason:

Additions: John Collins, Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, TyTy Washington

Subtractions: Norman Powell, Ben Simmons (free agent), Patty Mills (free agent), Drew Eubanks, Amir Coffey

Re-signed: James Harden, Nic Batum

Draft: Yanic Konan Niederhauser (No. 30 overall), Kobe Sanders (No. 50)

Hanifan’s outlook: To get the bad out of the way first: Kawhi Leonard is currently wrapped in a league-wide investigation after allegedly manipulating the salary cap by accepting money under-the-table from a now-bankrupt tree-planting company, Aspiration.

We don’t know how — or when — this investigation will be resolved. But the Clippers could be in a lot of trouble, even though they only have one eligible first-round pick they can lose with the richest owner in professional sports.

Leonard’s tenure with Los Angeles has been a failure; only one Western Conference Finals appearance in six seasons is unacceptable — given the expectations.

That said, Clippers did a solid job improving around the margins this summer. I was originally down on the Norman Powell trade (from their perspective). Though how I felt was contingent on their ability to acquire Bradley Beal (or another quality scorer). They did that — you take essentially swapping Powell for Collins and Beal every day of the week.

On the other hand, I wasn’t high on Konan Niederhauser in the pre-draft process — especially as a first-round pick. He’s still too raw and undisciplined and will be 23-years-old in March. He won’t have pressure to produce right away behind veterans Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez, who I’m not sure can move very well anymore. But I still wouldn’t have made that dart throw if I’m looking for a raw — albeit athletic — big at 30.

Regardless, they did address their lack of frontcourt depth with a pair of good floor spacers (Collins, Lopez). I think they had a solid summer, but a couple of the dart throws they made were ones that I wouldn’t have made.

Nevertheless, they should be in the thick of the postseason chase again next season — even though their destiny is largely predicated on Leonard’s health.