Clippers Eye Keaton Wagler at No. 5 as 2026 NBA Draft Trade Drama Builds

Q: With the NBA targeting tanking, is this the last draft rewarding teams for intentionally losing?

Yes. Barring a delay or legal challenge, the 2026 NBA draft appears to be the last one held under the old lottery structure that still materially rewards losing. The reason is timing. The mock draft and league reporting both point to the 2026 draft operating under the current system, where the worst teams still receive the best lottery odds. That is why teams such as Washington, Utah, Memphis and Chicago could still benefit from bottoming out in a year with a strong top tier. The NBA, however, has moved to change that. Commissioner Adam Silver has described tanking as an “epidemic,” and reporting indicates owners approved a new anti-tanking framework to begin with the 2027 draft. The reported “3-2-1” model would flatten odds further, expand the lottery field, and sharply reduce the advantage of finishing with one of the league’s three worst records. It also includes restrictions aimed at stopping repeat top-pick outcomes and serial top-five finishes. That does not mean tanking disappears overnight. Teams will still have incentives to miss the middle, preserve cap flexibility, and prioritize long-term development over short-term wins. But the direct payoff for intentional losing would be much weaker than under the current rules. So the practical answer is that 2026 is likely the last draft in which the old system clearly rewards teams for losing on purpose. Starting in 2027, the league is trying to make that strategy far less rational.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 22

The Athletic’s latest 2026 NBA mock draft pegs Washington’s AJ Dybantsa at No. 1, Utah’s Darryn Peterson at No. 2 and identifies the Clippers at No. 5 as the first true pivot point.
No. 5 is projected to be Keaton Wagler, with Mikel Brown Jr. the other name most tied to Los Angeles as the Clippers prioritize more size next to Darius Garland.
Trade chatter centers on that pick: league sources say the Clippers have discussed moving down but still want an early selection, while Atlanta at No. 8 is described as the most active team in trade talks.
Beyond the top of the board, executives see only 20 to 25 first-round grades in a class thinned by college withdrawals tied to NIL money, making the back half of the draft unusually fluid.