The LA Clippers’ 2025-26 season has gotten off to grisly start. Yes, even grislier than the Memphis Grizzlies’ grisly season start. LA is 5-12 on the season, good for just the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference.
After a 50-32 run that led to a seven-game first-round playoff series exit last spring, the Clippers made some major roster tweaks. LA flipped shooting guard Norman Powell for big man John Collins in a multi-team trade, brought back 36-year-old free agents James Harden and Nicolas Batum, and signed former All-Stars Chris Paul, Brook Lopez and Bradley Beal. Paul is 40, Lopez is 37, and Beal is 32. Not exactly spring chickens in a game predicated on leveraging speed.
Beal is done for the year after fracturing his hip, Paul has looked so unplayable that it’s been reported he will retire at the end of the year, and Lopez’s mobility issues have made his 2025-26 vintage a far cry from his All-Defensive Team prime with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Clippers’ two focal stars, Harden and 34-year-old Kawhi Leonard, have been productive when available. But the oft-hurt Leonard has already missed 10 games in the young season, primarily with right ankle and foot sprains.
Sam Amick of The Athletic reports that LA is looking to bring in even more aging former All-Star depth via a new blockbuster trade after the club’s disastrous start to its 2025-26 season.
The Clippers have already been burned by bringing in so many old vets with sub-par defensive ability, so it’s strange to hear that they want yet another one: Sacramento Kings small forward DeMar DeRozan, a former six-time All-Star.
"DeMar DeRozan, the 36-year-old who league sources say has some interest from the LA Clippers, has a partial guarantee on his deal for next season (approximately $10 million of his $25.7 million),” Amick writes.
In 17 healthy contests this season, the 6-foot-6 USC product has been averaging 17.9 points on .495/.361/.877 shooting splits, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals a night. DeRozan, a Los Angeles native, is great at drawing free throws and connecting from the midrange, although he’s a modest 3-point shooter. His scoring average this season represents his worst tally since 2011-12.
Amick notes that guards Malik Monk and Keon Ellis could also draw some trade interest from other NBA squads.
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