A 45-Point Night and a Heated Workout: How Keaton Wagler May Have Just Won the Clippers’ No. 5 Pick

The 2026 NBA Draft is shaping up to be a monster class at the top. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson are locked in as the consensus 1-through-4 picks. Scouts are buzzing. But after that? The fifth pick is a mystery—and the Los Angeles Clippers are right in the middle of it.

According to league insiders, the Clippers are leaning toward a pair of guards: Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. Both are versatile combo guards, but their pre-draft approaches couldn’t be more different. And one of them just made a serious power move.

The Workout That Turned Heads

Wagler reportedly went head-to-head with Houston’s Kingston Flemings in a private workout at the Clippers’ facility. Word from scouts in attendance? Wagler came out looking like the stronger prospect. It was a direct, competitive audition—and Wagler reportedly showed out.

Brown, on the other hand, has been working out alone in Orlando, running 1-on-0 drills. No opponent. No live pressure. That contrast has caught the attention of front office personnel around the league, according to Jake Fischer.

Why Size Matters in This Decision

The Clippers already have Darius Garland, a smaller point guard at 6-foot-1. That size limitation has led rival teams to predict L.A. won’t target other undersized guards like Arkansas’ Darius Acuff or Houston’s Kingston Flemings at No. 5. Instead, the front office is reportedly focused on players who can slide between backcourt spots.

Wagler, at 6-foot-6, is a true jumbo guard. He shot well from deep at Illinois and showed real playmaking chops, especially in pick-and-roll situations. Brown is more of a scorer—aggressive, explosive, and capable of pouring in points from all three levels. His 45-point game at Louisville this season was a reminder of his ceiling.

The Clippers’ Tightrope

This isn’t a simple talent evaluation. The pick also reflects organizational philosophy. Do they value the proven two-way ability and positional size of Wagler? Or do they bet on Brown’s scoring burst and upside, hoping his game translates faster in a system built around a veteran core?

ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel has reported that Los Angeles has genuine interest in Brown, and he slotted Brown to the Clippers in his recent mock draft 3.5. But Wagler’s edge in head-to-head competition may be tipping the scales. The team has not confirmed which direction it’s leaning.

Fans may not get a final answer until the pick is announced on draft night. But one thing is clear: the pre-draft process has turned this into a two-man race, and Wagler just made the last lap count.