Clippers Rookie’s Teammate Lost It During His Live Interview After a 23-Point Game

Keaton Wagler had himself a night on Sunday. And his teammate made sure everyone knew it.

The Clippers’ fifth overall pick dropped 23 points in a Summer League win in Las Vegas, bouncing back after a quiet start to the tournament. But the moment that’s getting the most attention happened after the final buzzer, when Wagler sat down for a postgame interview on national TV.

Teammate Kobe Sanders came running into the frame and started yelling directly at the camera. “TOP 5! TOP 5!” Sanders shouted, celebrating the rookie’s performance like he’d just won a playoff series. The clip spread fast online, with ClutchPoints posting video of the whole thing on social media.

Wagler’s game is starting to match the hype

The Illinois product had a pretty uneven first few Summer League games. That’s not unusual for a rookie adjusting to NBA speed, even one taken as high as fifth. But Sunday felt different. Wagler was confident, aggressive and knocked down shots from deep while showing the playmaking ability that made him a lottery pick in the first place.

His size for a point guard and his shooting range have drawn comparisons to Tyrese Haliburton, which is serious company. Whether he lives up to that remains to be seen, but this kind of performance is exactly what the Clippers wanted to see when they grabbed him in June.

Meanwhile, the Kawhi situation is still messy

The Clippers are in an awkward spot right now. They’ve been trying to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors, a move that would officially close the door on the Paul George era and signal a full reset. But the deal is stuck while the NBA investigates Leonard’s alleged no-show agreement with Aspiration. According to reports, the league wants to sort out whether anything improper happened before signing off on the trade.

If the trade falls apart or the Clippers end up getting less back than the rumored package, it’s a real problem for a front office that’s been praised for finally committing to a rebuild. Nobody wants to go through all that drama only to end up stuck in the middle again.

For now though, Wagler is giving fans something to feel good about. The Clippers will release their full 2026-27 schedule sometime next month. Summer League continues in Vegas this week, and Wagler will get another chance to show whether Sunday was a flash or the start of something real.