The Clippers aren’t alone, however. They’re only a piece of a much broader story about risk management that has left a plethora of teams exposed to worst-case draft scenarios. The bill is coming due soon in several other situations where unprotected picks or swaps traded in heady moments of star acquisition earlier this decade now hang over teams that should otherwise be starting a rebuild.

The top of 2026 NBA Draft is absolutely stacked, and it’s triggering one of the biggest tank races in history. Read our latest NBA mock draft here for a full look at how this draft class is shaping up.