OGNSC Staff | Los Angeles News Observer
The NBA Draft arrives next week with both Los Angeles teams facing very different questions.
The 2026 NBA Draft will be held over two nights, with the first round set for June 23 on ABC and ESPN and the second round scheduled for June 24 on ESPN. The Washington Wizards hold the No. 1 overall pick after winning the draft lottery.
For the Clippers, this draft could shape the next era of the franchise. LA owns three picks — No. 5, No. 36 and No. 52 — with the fifth selection coming from Indiana. The NBA’s official draft order also shows Oklahoma City holding the No. 12 pick from the Clippers, while Brooklyn owns No. 43 from the Clippers.
That No. 5 pick gives the Clippers something they have not often had in recent years: access to a high-end young player. According to the NBA’s official team preview, the Clippers finished 42-40, third in the Pacific Division, after overcoming a 6-21 start, then lost in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament.
The same preview lists AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson as the consensus top four prospects, meaning the Clippers could be choosing from the next group of potential impact players. The NBA mentioned guards Brayden Burries, Keaton Wagler and Darius Acuff Jr. as names to watch if LA looks to add a backcourt partner next to Darius Garland.
The Lakers, meanwhile, enter the draft from a different position. They hold only the No. 25 pick. The team went 53-29, finished first in the Pacific Division and lost in the conference semifinals. But their official draft preview notes that Los Angeles enters the offseason with only two of its top 10 scorers under contract, creating a roster-building challenge around Luka Dončić.
At No. 25, the Lakers may not be hunting for a franchise face, but they still need a player who can help the roster become younger, deeper and more affordable. The NBA’s preview says the Lakers could target frontcourt help — especially a pick-and-roll partner who can protect the rim — or perimeter shooting that can benefit from Dončić’s playmaking.
That makes this draft important for both teams, but for different reasons. The Clippers need to maximize a rare lottery opportunity. The Lakers need to find value late in the first round, or decide whether that pick is better used in a trade package for veteran help.
For Los Angeles basketball fans, draft night will not simply be about prospects walking across a stage in Brooklyn. It will be about direction. The Clippers can add a young cornerstone. The Lakers can add a needed piece around Dončić. Either way, next week’s decisions will help shape what basketball in Los Angeles looks like when the new season begins.