A former Illinois basketball star could be leading a sneaky good NBA team in 2026-27

Just seven years ago, Illinois basketball was hanging its hat on Meyers Leonard when it came to the NBA.

Illini fans didn’t have much to root for when it came to The Association. Fast forward seven years to the present day, and the Orange and Blue have numerous options, and for me, plenty of content.

In the most recent NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers had the No. 5 overall pick and selected Illinois point guard Keaton Wagler.

When the Clippers picked Wagler, they had future Hall of Famer Kawhi Leonard on the roster. Since that pick, they jettisoned Leonard out to Toronto and had to remake the roster.

I thought Los Angeles was going to struggle during the 2026-27 season. Through trades and offseason acquisitions, I don’t think that is the case anymore. In fact, the Clippers look like they could be sneaky good this season.

Farbod Esnaashari, a Clippers reporter for RTB Sports, laid out the potential starting lineup for next season. Wagler is obviously in there as the No. 5 overall pick. What is great is that Los Angeles has surrounded him with veteran experience.

Darius Garland will be in the backcourt with Wagler. He is a two-time All-Star who averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game last season.

The frontcourt and wing for the Clippers consist of Brandon Ingram, Rui Hachimura, and Brook Lopez.

Ingram is a two-time All-Star and is coming off an All-Star season of 21.5 points per game. His presence and length will be invaluable.

I love the addition of Hachimura. He is a 6-foot-8 forward who has great strength, but he is also extremely dangerous from the outside. Hachimura is coming off a great year with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

And then you have Lopez, a wily veteran who is on the back nine of his career but is still dangerous. His pick-and-pop abilities are second to none in the NBA.

Keaton Wagler joins a Los Angeles Clippers team that could be one of the best in this key stat

One of the great things about Wagler’s game at Illinois was the fact that he could create his own shot and knock down three-pointers at a high clip. He shot 39.7% from three-point range on 5.9 attempts per game with the Illini.

That is a trend that the Clippers are latching on to for the 2026-27 season. Wagler’s near-40% three-point shooting will fit right in.

Last season alone, Garland shot 39.6% on 6.8 three-point attempts per game. Ingram was at 38.2% on 4.6 attempts per game. Hachimura was at 44.3% on 3.9 attempts per game. And Lopez was at 36.0% on 4.2 attempts per game.

Think about that for a second. The Clippers' projected starting lineup's three-point shooting averages are 39.7%, 39.6%, 38.2%, 44.3%, and 36.0%. That is a team that could be very dangerous this season.

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