Lakers, Clippers Predicted to Plateau After Star Signings

Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey made win-loss predictions for every NBA team ahead of the 2025-26 season, and he made surprising choices for the Lakers and Clippers.

Bailey predicts that the Lakers and Clippers will each stay put at 50 wins next season, not changing their outcome from the 2024-25 season.

"And this offseason, on top of bringing back most of the most important pieces from 2024-25, they bolstered their rotation with Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez and John Collins," Bailey said about the Clippers. "This is now, unquestionably, one of the deepest teams in the NBA. But it's also the oldest. Collins is the only rotation player in his 20s. And Leonard has famously had a terrible time avoiding injuries throughout his career."

Bailey is certainly concerned about the Clippers' age and Leonard's injury history, and while a 50-win season is still wildly successful, they should be expected to improve from last season.

"The Los Angeles Lakers didn't make a lot of changes to their 50-win team this offseason, but the individual upgrade from Jaxson Hayes to Deandre Ayton is significant," Bailey said about the Lakers. "As L.A. spends the next few years looking for talent that fits its younger generational talent, [Luka Doncic and LeBron James], Ayton and Austin Reaves should allow the team to compete at a high level now."

Lakers and Clippers add stars

Bailey predicts the Lakers and Clippers to both plateau from last season, despite their big offseason moves. The Clippers added Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez, John Collins, and Chris Paul, improving their depth and going all-in on a championship next season.

The Lakers, on the other hand, have not made as many significant upgrades, but adding Deandre Ayton to solve their horrendous center problem is enough to give the franchise some hope. The team also added Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia to help out their depth, giving them a dynamic lineup with improved defense.