The Los Angeles Clippers won a coin flip with the Pacers for the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. And for weeks, the conversation around that spot has orbited three names: Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr. and Darius Acuff Jr. Those are the guys everyone talks about. But there’s a fourth name now, and it’s not just noise.
Arizona guard Brayden Burries worked out privately for Clippers coach Tyronn Lue on Tuesday, and according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, it went well enough that Burries is suddenly a real option at No. 5. Fischer reported that Burries impressed Lue in that setting, and league sources say he’s now firmly in the mix alongside Wagler, Acuff and Brown.
Brown has a private audition scheduled with the Clippers on Thursday. Nate Ament worked out for them Wednesday. But Burries might have done the most to change the conversation in a single afternoon.
The 6-foot-4 combo guard averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals this season for Arizona, shooting 49.1 percent from the field. He helped lead the Wildcats to a Final Four appearance. At the draft combine, he weighed in at 215 pounds, and scouts came away talking about his strength as an interior scorer and his defensive versatility.
Here’s the stat that jumps out: Burries shot 39.1 percent from three on 8.6 attempts per 100 possessions. That’s not a small-sample number. He was an efficient secondary shot creator all season, and he’s the first freshman in 25 years to average over 16 points, four rebounds and two assists while shooting over 49 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc (on at least eight attempts per 100 possessions) with a box plus-minus of 10.0 or higher.
That’s a specific statistical club. He’s the only member.
What Burries Would Bring to the Clippers
The Clippers are reportedly looking for a bigger guard to pair with Darius Garland in the backcourt. Burries fits that profile physically. He’s strong, he defends multiple positions, and he can play on or off the ball. That last part matters a lot if Garland is handling primary playmaking duties.
Some scouts have questioned Burries’ ceiling. The upside debate is fair — he’s not the explosive athlete some of the other lottery guys are. But his game is built on fundamentals and toughness, and those tend to translate. If the Clippers are thinking about winning now rather than waiting on a project, Burries might be the safer bet among the realistic options at No. 5.
Whether they actually pull the trigger depends on what happens in the next few private workouts. Wagler and Acuff still have plenty of fans in the organization. Brown’s audition Thursday could shift things again. But Burries made a late push, and in a draft where the top five is still fluid, that push might be enough.
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