Former Illinois basketball star Keaton Wagler had the attention of NBA scouts heading into the 2026 NBA Draft.
The team that wanted him the most was the Los Angeles Clippers. At the time, the franchise was going through change, as the team was retooling, and star player Kawhi Leonard was on his way to the Toronto Raptors.
There was also an NBA investigation going on while Wagler was becoming the newest member of the Clippers. Well, that investigation has now concluded.
On Wednesday evening, Shams Charania of ESPN broke the news that the NBA has stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks, issued suspensions to Clippers’ owner Steve Ballmer and multiple front office people, fined Ballmer $30 million, essentially fined Leonard $700,000, and banned Dennis Robertson, his uncle, from any NBA dealings.
BREAKING: The NBA has ruled on the Los Angeles Clippers in for salary cap circumvention investigations on Kawhi Leonard after yearlong probe -- stripping the franchise of 5 first-round picks, issuing a $30 million fine to owner Steve Ballmer and suspensions for Ballmer, Lawrence… pic.twitter.com/JCV5bI88BE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 2, 2026
This massive NBA news comes after a year-long investigation into the Clippers circumventing the cap. To dumb it down, the Clippers won the Leonard sweepstakes because they could pay him his regular salary, plus they had multiple businesses funneling him money for doing no-show jobs, per Pablo Torre Finds Out.
Nothing directly affects Wagler right now with the entire situation, but the future of the Clippers is definitely looking bleaker by the minute.
Heading into the 2026-27 campaign, Los Angeles has an okay roster. Wagler is going to be in the backcourt alongside players like Darius Garland and Bradley Beal. They added Rui Hachimura on the wing. I also like Brook Lopez in the paint.
The issue for Wagler moving forward is that the Clippers are now stuck in the mud. They have zero flexibility in improving their team for the foreseeable future.
First-round picks are major assets. Not only could they land Los Angeles stars from the draft, but they are also major assets in getting better players in the door. A few first-round picks can help land talent to put around Wagler.
That is all out the window now that Los Angeles has lost five first-round selections.
Keaton Wagler could make the Los Angeles Clippers an attractive destination
Right now, things look awful for the Clippers. They just lost a Hall of Fame player in Leonard, and now five first-round picks fly out the window.
Wagler has all of the power for that franchise, though. While there is chaos going on, Wagler is the calm in the storm that Los Angeles is going through.
During his time at Illinois, Wagler was always even-keeled. He never got too high or too low. He is someone who could always rally the troops, and in the current Clippers situation, that is exactly what the franchise needs.
The law the NBA laid down on the Clippers was big on Wednesday. Despite the franchise taking a hit, they have a steady hand at the helm. Let Wagler put on his cape and go to work.
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