When you draft a player like Keaton Wagler No. 5 overall, the Los Angeles Clippers always had a plan to make him a priority on the roster.
I was expecting Wagler to make an impact on the Clippers as he did with the Illini in year one. He came into Champaign with no expectations and quickly burst onto the scene. Wagler isn’t flying under anyone’s radar in the NBA, though.
In fact, Wagler’s profile could grow quickly with some potentially NBA trade news.
At this point, it seems like every NBA player has been rumored to be traded to every NBA team, but it does feel like there is some teeth to Kawhi Leonard potentially heading out of Los Angeles.
The rumor mill has been churning, and according to multiple sources throughout the NBA, both the Dallas Mavericks and the Toronto Raptors have had trade talks with the Clippers to get Leonard.
As Kawhi Leonard trade buzz grows, @TheAthletic has learned about Dallas’ interest - with @christianpclark and @sam_amick https://t.co/Sg74u9jBVz
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) June 28, 2026
Dallas’ connection to Leonard dates back to his Raptors days. Current Mavericks President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri was the president of the Raptors when Leonard was there and won a championship. Naturally, Ujiri wants Leonard back.
Meanwhile, there seems to be a strong connection with Leonard wanting to go back to Toronto, where he won that NBA title.
No matter where Kawhi Leonard lands, it would open up a lot of potential for Keaton Wagler with the Los Angeles Clippers
Honestly, I don’t care where Leonard goes. He seems to bring a lot of drama wherever he lands, and I think this would be great for Wagler. He would get a chance to be the lead dog on a team that needs his type of leadership.
Los Angeles is going through somewhat of a rebuild heading into next season. The drafting of Wagler was big for the franchise, and now they need to build around him.
I think there is a chance that Wagler could have a pretty big year without Leonard commanding the ball. You could legitimately be looking at a starting lineup of No. 1 Darius Garland, No. 2 Wagler, No. 3 Ben Mathurin, No. 4 Derrick Jones, and No. 5 Brook Lopez.
Now, that team might not get a ton of wins, but Wagler can show off his chops. He is a player who can create buckets for his teammates, and I am looking at some talent that needs that type of ball-handler in the backcourt.
At the end of the day, I think a Leonard trade away from the Clippers could be an addition by subtraction. The team would be worse overall, but this would enable Wagler to develop at a better pace.
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