The LA Clippers got absolutely ripped apart by the Kawhi Leonard punishment. Not only were Steve Ballmer and multiple front-office members fined and suspended, but they were also stripped of five future first-round picks. It sounded like they were going to fight the penalty, but Ballmer just put out a statement saying that they will accept it. That’s good news for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Getting stripped of five future firsts will definitely hurt the Clippers’ ability to improve in the long-term, but it will hurt them in the short-term, too. They won’t have many picks to trade in hopes of improving the roster, and they could actually try to sell some players so they can restock their draft cabinet. And that means their 2027 first–round pick– which the Thunder own the right to swap – could get more valuable.
The more mediocre the Clippers are this upcoming season, the better off the Thunder will be. OKC has a real chance to earn a great pick in next year’s draft.
Steve Ballmer's statement helps the Thunder's Clippers pick in 2027
OKC is already one of the best teams in the NBA. They made it all the way to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals last season after winning a championship the year before that.
However, with the current CBA and financial penalties already putting pressure on OKC, it should be looking for any and all ways to improve the roster while staying under the second apron.
Adding a quality young player on a cheap contract would certainly help, and if the Thunder can land a top pick in next year’s draft, they could do exactly that.
And if they didn’t want to add a young player, they could also trade a top pick to a team that needs it in favor of adding win-now talent while keeping their books in order.
The point is, Ballmer and the Clippers accepting the league’s penalty will force LA into place. It won’t be able to improve much because it has no picks to improve with.
For a moment, it looked like the Clippers could fight back against the punishment, but now Ballmer has said that they won’t. And that means their 2027 pick is almost certainly going to be good. That’s great for OKC.
Because if the Clippers end up as one of the teams that doesn’t make the playoffs next year, the Thunder – a genuine title contender – will end up with a potential top-10 pick in next summer’s draft.
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