The LA Clippers have had perhaps the busiest offseason in the NBA. They traded star guard Norman Powell in a deal to bring in John Collins. In free agency, they signed Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, and Brook Lopez.
On top of that, they are in the middle of an NBA investigation for allegedly circumventing the salary cap through a non-profit to pay Kawhi Leonard.
In all the chaos, it’s easy to forget that the Clippers won 50 games last season. In the playoffs, they took the Denver Nuggets to seven games. It’s expected that the Clippers will be even better this season with a revamped depth chart and the stars still in place.
GettySACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 15: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers is guarded by Demar Derozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings during the second half of their preseason game at Golden 1 Center on October 15, 2025 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
LA Clippers Expected to Be Finals Contenders
Between the ‘Lob City’ era and the Leonard/Paul George pairing, the Clippers have had sky-high expectations in the past. They remain one of five franchises to never even appear in the NBA Finals.
That could all change this season. Ivica Zubac is poised to dominate. Leonard, Beal, and James Harden are all excellent scorers, and Collins and Lopez round out the frontcourt. Add depth pieces like Paul, Nicolas Batum, Derrick Jones Jr., and Bogdan Bogdanovic, and the Clippers have a quality roster.
“I think people do feel like the Clippers are going to be a top-four force in the West, especially since we’ve seen Kawhi more in the preseason than we have in ages,” pointed out Marc Stein on the All-NBA podcast’s October 17 episode. “The Clippers, to bring in Collins, Beal, the role they have earmarked for him, if he embraces it, he can be good for them.”
If the Clippers stay healthy this season (which is a big “if”), it’s easy to imagine them marching through the Western Conference. They have depth on both sides of the ball and plenty of experience to boot.
LA Clippers’ Success Could Create Awkward Moment
NBA commissioner Adam Silver is leading an investigation into the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer. Allegedly, Ballmer funneled $28 million to Leonard through Aspiration in order to avoid the salary cap.
If the investigation finds that the Clippers did cheat, Silver can suspend Ballmer, void Leonard’s contract, or penalize the team’s draft picks. However, the investigation is not expected to conclude any time soon.
Silver’s most public-facing job is to hand the winning team’s owner the Larry O’Brien Trophy after the NBA Finals. Now, imagine for a second that Silver has to hand the hardware to Ballmer.
“Can the NBA really hand the trophy to the LA Clippers?” asked Adam Mares. “Would that not be the ultimate uncomfortable moment for Adam Silver if that were the case this year?”
Ballmer is one of the league’s most vocal owners. Certainly, a public moment between the two would become wildly meme-able and GIF-able. Perhaps by the time the Finals roll around, Silver will have already punished the Clippers. If LA overcomes a punishment and wins it all anyway, the owner and commissioner will have to play nice, at least for the cameras.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post LA Clippers Could Create ‘Uncomfortable Moment’ Amid NBA Investigation appeared first on Heavy Sports.