Grading the Clippers' Last Three NBA Draft Hauls

The Los Angeles Clippers sacrificed the majority of their future draft capital to put together a roster aspiring for a championship. Throughout six seasons of the Kawhi Leonard era, the Clippers couldn't quite get over the hump. Whether it was Paul George, James Harden or Ivica Zubac as the top running mates, it seemed Los Angeles' roster fell short each year.

Due to giving up a large sum of draft picks and swaps in trades over the era, the Clippers were left with bottom-tier draft picks –– late first-rounders and occasional seconds. Still, many organizations have proven that finding talent outside of the lottery is possible, and even crucial. The Clippers, however, have struggled to hit on those picks in the last three drafts –– contributing to the lack of depth.

Let's take a look back on the last three Clippers drafts.

2023

The Clippers held two selections in the 2023 NBA Draft, and brought in two collegiate veterans to play NBA-ready roles –– senior Kobe Brown and fifth-year senior Jordan Miller. Despite successful college careers and seemingly strong skillsets for the modern NBA, neither have become major contributors to Clippers basketball since arriving.

Brown has career averages of 2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game while shooting just 27 percent from deep. He's shown flashes as a switchable defender between forwards and guards, but has still been too raw offensively to play real minutes in a playoff setting –– averaging 4.2 minutes per game in his six postseason appearances.

Miller's had success in the G League, but that hasn't translated to the main roster. The 25-year-old wing operated as a volume scorer with the San Diego Clippers and a spot-minute wing for Los Angeles. Perhaps he'll take on a larger role due to Amir Coffey's departure, but for now, his contributions remain minimal.

Grade: D

2024

The Clippers' lone 2024 draft pick was Cam Christie, who they selected with the No. 46 overall pick. Christie entered the draft following his lone freshman season at Minnesota, separating him from the previous two Clippers selections of upperclassmen.

However, his contributions to the team have been similar, as the combo guard appeared in just 13 games in his rookie season, averaging 4.5 minutes and 1.4 points per game. Christie still has plenty of time to turn it around, as he's only 20 years old, but the Clippers are still looking to compete now.

Barring a year-two breakout within a logjam guard rotation consisting of Harden, Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Kris Dunn, Bogdan Bogdanovic and more, Christie seems like yet another miss of a draft pick.

Grade: D

2025

The Clippers walked away from the 2025 NBA Draft with 23-year-old wing Kobe Sanders and 22-year-old center Yanic Konan Niederhauser, dipping back into the well of older prospects. Despite having years of experience under their belts, there's questions on whether or not the pair can contribute to winning basketball quickly.

Niederhauser has a raw offensive game, not quite putting together a complete scoring package or thriving in any specific area yet. He'll also at best-case scenario be the third-string center, behind both Zubac and Brook Lopez.

Sanders will also be buried in the Clippers depth chart, behind versatile forwards like Leonard and Nicolas Batum. There's a chance him and Brown battle it out for spot minutes in the regular season, but for Sanders to be a real contributor, he'd need to be the best Clippers draft pick in the last three years.

Grade: N/A