When the Los Angeles Clippers traded for James Harden, brought in Bradley Beal, and reloaded with veteran pieces like Brook Lopez and Chris Paul, the message was loud and clear: one last run. One final push with Kawhi Leonard and Harden leading a win-now roster, hoping everything finally clicks the way it never quite has since the Kawhi–PG era began.

But today, standing at 4–8, 11th in the Western Conference, with two stars putting up efficient numbers but zero real traction, the reality is obvious:

This team is finished as a contender — and the rebuild is no longer optional. It’s mandatory.

And @MonowiMar on X put it perfectly when he told me:

“I believe the Clippers have to rebuild. After losing Bradley Beal… the team is guaranteed not to succeed in the postseason. They should sell while they still have available assets… Let the team start Jordan Miller who has star qualities… let him develop, as well as Cam Christie… Teams have to rebuild — it is impossible to be good every year without young talent and continuity.”

This blog is dedicated to expanding on that exact idea — and explaining why this Clippers team can’t salvage the season, why the numbers show something fundamentally broken, and why their future may actually be brighter after they let go of their biggest names.

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HE CLIPPERS ARE UNDERPERFORMING AT EVERY LEVEL

Let’s start with the raw on-court production.

1. They Can’t Score — At All

The LA Clippers Are:

• 26th in points per game (111.5)
• 29th in field goal attempts per game (83.3)
• 26th in rebounds (40.8)
• 24th in assists (24.5)

This means:

• They don’t shoot enough.
• They don’t create enough.
• They don’t rebound enough to extend possessions.
• They don’t move the ball well enough to get efficient looks.

You cannot compete in the modern NBA with these numbers, even if you’re defending well.

And they are defending well —
10th in steals (9.3)
11th in blocks (5.3)
But defense doesn’t matter when you’re getting out-paced, out-shot, and out-produced on the other end.

This roster is playing like a team with no identity — because that’s exactly what they are.

THE BRADLEY BEAL DOMINO EFFECT

When the Clippers traded for Bradley Beal, he wasn’t supposed to be the savior — but he was supposed to be the pressure valve.

He was the player who was supposed to:

• Make life easier for Kawhi
• Make life easier for Harden
• Produce enough scoring punch to keep defenses honest

Instead?
Beal is out for the season with hip surgery.

Even before going down, he averaged:

• 8.2 PPG, by far the worst of his career
• Looked slower
• Looked unsure of his place
• And simply never built chemistry with the roster

His absence broke the team’s depth, spacing, and structure.

And with him gone, the Clippers are stuck between a contending roster that can’t win, and a future that hasn’t been built yet.

KAWHI + HARDEN = NUMBERS WITHOUT TRANSLATION

Here’s the wild part:

• Harden is averaging 25 PPG and 9 APG
• Kawhi is averaging 25 PPG and 6 RPG

These look like superstar numbers.
But they’re not translating to wins.

Why?

Because the rest of the roster isn’t built to complement them anymore.

Zubac is giving a strong 16 PPG and 10 RPG, but after him?

• DJJ — 11 PPG
• John Collins — 11.5 PPG
• Bogdan — 10 PPG
• Brook Lopez — 6.8 PPG
• Chris Paul — 2.3 PPG, the 2nd lowest of his career at age 40

No one outside the main scorers is producing enough offensively.

Between age, injuries, and fit problems, the roster feels like a collection of names — not a team.

THE INJURY GLASS CEILING

The Clippers’ biggest problem for five years has been the same:
availability.

Now:

• Kawhi is out with a sprained ankle
• Beal is gone for the year
• Chris Paul is in his final season
• Lopez is declining
• Harden has to carry more load than expected
• Zubac has to anchor everything

This isn’t sustainable.

They can’t build chemistry.
They can’t build rhythm.
They can’t build anything stable.

This is a cycle LA has been trapped in since 2019.

THE FUTURE: REBUILDING ISN’T FAILURE — IT’S SURVIVAL

This is where @MonowiMar’s take becomes essential:

“They should sell while they still have available assets… Kawhi for a couple picks… same with James… Let Jordan Miller start, he has star qualities… Cam Christie can develop too.”

This is the exact path OKC took after the Russell Westbrook and Paul George era.
They embraced the rebuild, collected picks, found their next stars, and now sit at the top of the West.

This is where the Clippers stand today:

• Their veterans still have trade value
• They finally have their picks back
• They can reset the cap
• They can rebuild before hitting rock bottom

This isn’t a teardown —
it’s a reset.

A controlled, strategic reset that could unlock something the Clippers have never had before:

• continuity
• young star development
• a real identity
• long-term stability

THE JORDAN MILLER + CAM CHRISTIE FUTURE

Jordan Miller barely plays, but flashes everything you want:

• length
• athleticism
• a strong first step
• defensive instincts
• scoring versatility

And as @MonowiMar pointed out:

“In Summer League he performed better than the top rookies… he has a lot of SGA in him.”

This is exactly the type of player you hand the keys to during a rebuild.

Same with Cam Christie:

• smooth jumper
• high IQ
• great positional size
• polished shot mechanics
• real upside

These are the players you invest in — not a roster of 30+ veterans.

THE PERFECT TIME TO SELL

Here’s the truth:

If the Clippers wait another year, Kawhi and Harden will be older, less durable, and worth fewer picks.

Right now?

• Kawhi Leonard could easily net multiple 1sts
• James Harden could bring back strong value for a contender
• Even Lopez, Bogdan, Collins, and DJJ would have trade markets

And with the Clippers getting their picks back soon, they have every reason to bottom out, stack assets, and give themselves the best chance at rebuilding the right way.

Because as @MonowiMar said:

“OKC getting an AJ/Cam Boozer is terrifying as f***.”

The Clippers cannot afford to give OKC another top pick.
They need that pick themselves.

THE CONCLUSION: THE BUILD IS OVER — IT’S TIME TO REBUILD

The Clippers tried.

They genuinely did.

They built superteams.
They traded every pick.
They swung at every star.
They gambled on injuries working out.
They went all in.

But at 4–8, with the league’s 26th-ranked offense, with Beal gone, with Kawhi hurt, with Chris Paul aging, with veterans sputtering… the outcome is plain:

This core cannot win anymore.
This era is finished.
And the rebuild must start now.

The question isn’t “should the Clippers rebuild?”

The question is:

Can they afford not to?