Los Angeles Clippers 2026-27
The Los Angeles Clippers went 42-40 in 2025-26 and ranked 16th in net rating and 18th in defense. The sportsbooks set their 2026-27 win total at 28.5. Our model has them at 37 wins, and our projected record, which weights the line three to one, is 31-51, the No. 12 seed in the West. The model sits 8.9 wins above the line, so our call is the over, one of our six best bets.
The question
With Kawhi traded, Ingram out for the start of the season and Strus out about a month, who besides Garland and Lopez starts for a 'reinvented' Clippers team in an unforgiving West?
Projected starters
Reporting confidence: low.
Bench rotation
Kris Dunn · Derrick Jones Jr. · Bradley Beal · Kobe Sanders · Yuki Kawamura · Blake Wesley · Isaiah Jackson
Players at 1.73 or better on AQI
None. Every champion since 2001-02 had at least one. Why that matters.
Top-three salaries, 2025-26 games
Darius Garland 45; Brandon Ingram 77; Bradley Beal 6 (58% of possible games)
Injuries
- Brandon Ingram · OutRight heel surgery in May. A previously undisclosed partial Achilles tear was treated in the same procedure.
- Max Strus · OutPartial plantar fascia tear/rupture, right foot; hurt about 5 minutes into the preseason opener vs GSW
- Jordan Miller · OutRepaired left rotator cuff tear (listed Aug 26)
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser · OutFoot ligament tear (as of Sep 28)
- Bradley Beal · UnclearRight knee inflammation; was to miss the start of camp (Sep 28). No later update found.
Rookies to watch
- Keaton Wagler (No. 5): Drafted to eventually start next to Garland. B/R projected him as a starter. Roundtable (Oct 8) says probably not this early.
Roster and contracts
| Player | Pos | Age | 2026-27 salary | AQI | AQI season | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Garland | G | 26 | $42.2M | 0.86 | 2025-26 | |
| Brandon Ingram | F | 29 | $40.0M | 0.23 | 2025-26 | Out |
| Max Strus | G | 30 | $16.7M | — | Out | |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | F | 29 | $10.5M | 0.78 | 2025-26 | |
| Brook Lopez | C | 38 | $8.8M | 0.23 | 2025-26 | |
| Gradey Dick | G | 22 | $7.1M | 0.97 | 2025-26 | |
| Isaiah Jackson | F | 24 | $7.0M | — | ||
| Kris Dunn | G | 32 | $5.7M | 0.06 | 2025-26 | |
| Bradley Beal | G | 33 | $5.6M | -1.92 | 2024-25 | Day-To-Day |
| Yanic Konan Niederhauser | C | 23 | $2.9M | — | Out | |
| Jordan Miller | G | 26 | $2.5M | -0.10 | 2025-26 | Out |
| Jalen Pickett | G | 26 | $2.4M | — | ||
| Cam Christie | G | 21 | $2.3M | — | ||
| Kobe Sanders | G | 24 | $2.2M | 0.16 | 2025-26 | Day-To-Day |
| Rui Hachimura | F | 28 | — | 0.35 | 2025-26 | |
| Yuki Kawamura | G | 25 | — | — | ||
| Fletcher LoyerRookie | G | 23 | — | — | ||
| Nick MartinelliRookie | F | 22 | — | — | ||
| Baba MillerRookie | F | 22 | — | — | ||
| Jahmyl TelfortRookie | F | 25 | — | — | ||
| Keaton WaglerRookie | G | 19 | — | — | ||
| Blake Wesley | G | 23 | — | — |
AQI is a player's on-court net rating × usage × (true shooting ÷ 0.550): his 2025-26 number if he played 1,000 minutes, otherwise his latest 1,500-minute season. Highlighted players are at or above 1.73, the floor every champion's best player has cleared. Salaries and injury designations from ESPN as of October 13, 2026.
Common questions
What is the Los Angeles Clippers win total for 2026-27?
The median win total across BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars, bet365 and BetRivers is 28.5 (BetMGM 28.5 · BetRivers 29.5 · Caesars 27.5 · DraftKings 28.5).
How many games will the Clippers win in 2026-27?
DataDunkNBA projects 31-51. The model sits 8.9 wins above the line, so our call is the over, one of our six best bets.
Who is injured for the Clippers?
Brandon Ingram: Out (Right heel surgery in May. A previously undisclosed partial Achilles tear was treated in the same procedure.); Max Strus: Out (Partial plantar fascia tear/rupture, right foot; hurt about 5 minutes into the preseason opener vs GSW); Jordan Miller: Out (Repaired left rotator cuff tear (listed Aug 26)); Yanic Konan Niederhauser: Out (Foot ligament tear (as of Sep 28)); Bradley Beal: Unclear (Right knee inflammation; was to miss the start of camp (Sep 28). No later update found.).
West projected standings
| Seed | Team | Line | Our record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 62.5 | 63-19 |
| 2 | San Antonio Spurs | 60.5 | 60-22 |
| 3 | Denver Nuggets | 48.5 | 49-33 |
| 4 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 48.5 | 48-34 |
| 5 | Houston Rockets | 47.5 | 47-35 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Lakers | 45.5 | 44-38 |
| 7 | Portland Trail Blazers | 41.5 | 41-41 |
| 8 | Phoenix Suns | 39.5 | 40-42 |
| 9 | Golden State Warriors | 37.5 | 38-44 |
| 10 | Utah Jazz | 37.5 | 35-47 |
| 11 | Dallas Mavericks | 33.5 | 33-49 |
| 12 | Los Angeles Clippers | 28.5 | 31-51 |
| 13 | Memphis Grizzlies | 29.5 | 29-53 |
| 14 | New Orleans Pelicans | 28.5 | 29-53 |
| 15 | Sacramento Kings | 20.5 | 22-60 |
Read the full reasoning for every team in Vegas vs. the Numbers: our 2026-27 predictions, and how the contender tests work in the four tests preview and the AQI explainer.