Clippers' loss to Warriors means the rich get richer

The Los Angeles Clippers will miss the NBA playoffs after a 125-120 loss to the Golden State Warriors. That means the defending champions will get a lottery pick.

Thanks to the 2019 trade that sent Paul George to the Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the Clippers' first-round pick this June. Now the 65-win Thunder get a pick that could have a 9.4 percent chance to be among the top four selections.

Los Angeles Clippers gave up a ton for George

The Clippers sent a king's ransom to the Thunder to add George in 2019, as part of their free-agent pursuit of Kahwi Leonard — which may become more expensive depending on the NBA's ongoing investigation of his "no-show" endorsement deal with a Clippers sponsor. Besides Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, the Thunder got a pick that became All-NBA forward Jalen Williams, and one they turned 2025 No. 15 pick Thomas Sorber after other transactions.

Now, George has helped the Philadelphia 76ers to a play-in win two years after leaving Los Angeles and the Clippers missed the playoffs and are now five years removed from their last playoff series win. The Clippers also have a 48 percent chance at receiving the Indiana Pacers' first-rounder, if it lands at No. 5 or No. 6, from trading center Ivica Zubac at midseason.

The Clippers do have 26-year-old Darius Garland signed long-term and the right to match any free-agent offers for 23-year-old Bennedict Mathurin. Distressingly, they don't control their own first-rounder until 2030, owing pick swaps in 2027 and 2029 to the Thunder and Sixers and their 2028 to Philly outright — thanks to a trade for James Harden, who has also departed.

OKC Thunder could restock as defending champions

The Thunder have a small chance at a very high pick, but even without any luck with the lottery ping-pong balls, the Clippers pick could land at No. 11. They also own the Sixers' first-rounder, which will land between No. 16 and No. 18. 

Beyond their ability to select two of the best 18 prospects in the draft, the Thunder have used their picks to slowly restock their roster. They flipped one 2026 first-rounder to add second-year sharpshooter Jared McCain, who had made 39.1 percent of his three-pointers since the trade to OKC.

The Thunder have had the luxury of patience, using a 2024 lottery pick on Nikola Topic despite his torn ACL. He returned this month after missing most of this year after testicular cancer treatment, but he's available for the playoffs. Sorber missed his rookie year with a torn ACL but he'll be back next season as well.

It's almost unfair that the Thunder may get to add high picks on their way to a potential quest for a three-peat. For the Clippers, they mortgaged their future for George and Leonard, and now that mortgage is underwater.