The Shocking Move That Could Instantly Transform the Clippers’ Future: Why Trading for Zion Williamson Is a Game-Changer

Lawrence Frank stands at a crossroads, wrestling with a choice that could reshape the LA Clippers’ future. As the president of basketball operations, he’s got one eye on the mounting league investigation into cap circumvention tied to Kawhi Leonard’s reported “no-show” job with the defunct Aspiration bank — a probe that’s slowly tightening its grip. The weight of Commissioner Adam Silver’s looming decision isn’t just a distant threat; it’s a ticking clock, keeping everyone on edge. But here’s the kicker: that final blow from Silver? It might not come until 2026-27 — if at all. This odd timing grants Frank a risky yet tantalizing window to pull the ultimate gambit — moving all remaining first-round picks to chase a championship now. Sure, the Clippers’ draft stash is nearly emptied out, but what if doubling down this season means stacking the deck in a fractured Western Conference and putting together a title-caliber squad? It’s a high-stakes game that teeters between bold strategy and reckless abandon — and as the chess pieces fall, Frank’s next move could change everything. LEARN MORE

Lawrence Frank has a decision to make. The LA Clippers president of basketball operations is undoubtedly monitoring the progress of the league’s cap circumvention investigation and evaluating the team’s exposure of possible wrongdoing in Kawhi Leonard’s alleged “no-show” job with a now-bankrupt bank Aspiration.

The clock is ticking. Evidence continues to pile up. The shadow of NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s hammer looms overhead.

Frank can preempt all of that by pressing the nuclear option — trading all of the team’s available first-round picks. Because here’s the thing: In all likelihood, the Silver hammer won’t be dropping anytime soon, if it does at all. Considering the size and scope of the investigation with allegations dating back to 2021, it’s reasonable to assume it might take a year or more for the NBA’s commissioned firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rose & Katz to file its determinations.

Draft picks, suspensions and contract voidance are all on the line. But that all might not arrive until the 2026-27 season. Which means Frank has something of a free roll for the 2025-26 season.

Granted, the Clippers’ cupboard of draft picks is already bare. They’ve already sent out the 2026 and 2028 first-round picks. They’ve swapped the 2027 and 2029 firsts. They can trade two firsts — in 2030 and 2032 — and toss in a swap for 2031.

It’s a fascinating wrinkle to this entire saga. Would Frank dare?

Any trade involving picks would be a strategic utilization of time-sensitive assets, not an admission of guilt. The Clippers’ title odds just got a shot in the arm, thanks to Houston Rockets star guard Fred VanVleet suffering a potential season-ending ACL injury. With Houston suddenly vulnerable, adding another weapon could vault the Clippers to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s tier.

The Clippers could push all of their chips to the middle and float a draft-pick package — say, two unprotected firsts and a 2031 swap — and pursue another star to complement James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal and Ivica Zubac. Can you imagine if said star is the missing piece for the 2026 NBA Champion Clippers? That’d be quite the trophy ceremony.

But really, if the Clippers trade for a star using their picks, what could Silver do about it? As long as the investigation is ongoing, the answer is almost certainly nothing. Freezing a team’s assets for the duration of an investigation would cause an all-out revolt among the other owners — the opposite of Silver’s “innocent until proven guilty” decree last week. Ultimately, Silver’s hands would be tied until the verdict came in.

Yes, such a bold move might inject more venom in Silver’s punishment (if the NBA were to find wrongdoing). But if the Clippers could lose, say, five first-round picks, they might as well kick the can down the road and go all-in for the 2025-26 title.

So if I’m Frank, I go for it. Smoke ’em if you got ’em. This is the year. Heck, the Clippers are just about pot committed anyway. If Leonard’s contract is voided as part of the punishment as it was for Joe Smith in 2000, then the Clippers’ title chances in 2026-27 would go up in smoke (assuming, of course, they won’t be allowed to use the cap relief). Other teams would prioritize a future first-round pick from the Clippers knowing there’s at least a chance Silver goes scorched Earth on ’em. The more Silver tightens the screws, the more valuable those picks will be. It takes two to tango, and both sides may want to hit the dance floor sooner than later.

Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen would be an ideal fit, but his contract ($46.4 million starting salary) will be tough to reach in salary matching, especially with newly acquired Clipper John Collins prohibited by league rules from rejoining the Jazz so soon. But there are other power forwards on the market who can slide right into the Clippers’ frontline. With that in mind, here are three stars they should pursue as they await Silver’s verdict:

Zion Williamson

If you’re able to stomach the injury-riddled Leonard, why not double down? From the Pelicans side, they sport a new front office led by Joe Dumars, and new regimes have been known to clean house so they can start with a blank canvas. It might be challenging to persuade a team to take on the three years remaining on Williamson’s contract, though he does have a unique contract structure that doesn’t fully guarantee his salary unless he hits benchmarks regarding games played and his weight.

For New Orleans, the unprotected first-round picks would be the crown jewel of a trade here, giving the franchise a fresh start to the Dumars era and mitigating the downside of trading an unprotected 2026 draft pick to move up to select Derik Queen at No. 13 this past June. Bogdan Bogdanovic (team option in 2026-27) and John Collins (expiring contract), unprotected first-round picks and three swaps would work cap-wise.

In this scenario, the Clippers would start Beal, Harden, Leonard, Williamson and Zubac with Chris Paul, Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Nic Batum and Brook Lopez coming off the bench. Zion-Zu lineups could get cramped, but this is where the offseason signing of Lopez, an elite stretch 5, comes in handy. Teams trying to defend Williamson’s power drives will have to pick their poison as Lopez led all 7-footers last season in catch-and-shoot 3s.

Michael Porter Jr.

I’m stretching the word “star” here, but Porter will likely be a rental for the going-nowhere Brooklyn Nets. It’s hard to imagine the Nets snagging a first-round pick for Porter, who is owed $38.3 million this season and $40.8 million next season, but the Clippers may be just the desperate suitor to get something done. Nets GM Sean Marks has been stockpiling first-rounders, as the team already received a 2032 first from Denver in the Cam Johnson swap this summer.

Adding to the intrigue from the Clippers side of things is Porter’s contract length. Unlike Williamson, Porter’s contract expires in 2027, which coincides with the end-date of just about everyone on the Clippers’ roster. Porter represents one of the top perimeter shooters in the game and an ideal fit next to elite rim-protector Zubac. I mentioned above that Lopez led all 7-footers in catch-and-shoot 3s last season. Well, Porter led all players 6-10 or taller in the same category.

Brandon Ingram

The Raptors hit the Crtl-Z button on the one-time All-Star. After Masai Ujiri was abruptly let go following the draft, longtime GM Bobby Webster could look to unload Ingram’s three-year, $120 million contract extension that was agreed to in February. Ingram wasn’t allowed to be traded for six months, but that restriction was lifted in August — just in time for the Clippers to step in!

It’d be one for the history books if Ingram never suited up for the Raptors for a single game after being traded in early February. He dealt with a sore ankle for most of the 2024-25 season, but an injury-riddled star is nothing new for the Clippers. Ingram would have to slot over to the nominal 4 spot for the Clippers, but lineups with Batum, Leonard or Jones Jr. would ease much of that.