The LA Clippers have been working with different lineups since the NBA trade deadline as the team looks for ways to incorporate their newest players.
Darius Garland, Benedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson all joined the Clippers via trades during deadline week, as James Harden and Ivica Zubac were surprisingly shipped out in the process. However, on Wednesday night, the Clippers debuted their new look, which could be their lineup for the remainder of the season and the postseason if they qualify.
Kawhi Leonard warmed up and was upgraded to available just before the game, while Garland was upgraded to available after the team's morning shootaround. Given the back-to-back sets they were playing, there was some concern that both could miss games.
Darius Garland started Wednesday's game along with Derrick Jones Jr., Kawhi Leonard, John Collins and Brook Lopez, the first time those five have shared the floor this season. Chris Dunne was relegated to a role off the bench, with Collins replacing him in the starting lineup.
Clippers Starters:
darius garland
derrick jones jr
kawhi leonard
john collins
brook lopezPelican:
Dejounte Murray
Trey Murphy III
Saddiq Bey
zion williamson
herbert jones- Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) 18 March 2026
Since acquiring three players at the deadline, this Clippers team has still never been complete. Darius Garland missed the first month after the trade due to heavy management of recent toe injuries. Meanwhile, John Collins suffered two scary neck-related injuries and missed nine games due to them.
Although the Clippers are scheduled to debut their new starting lineup on Wednesday, they are still playing this entire three-game road trip without a big player in Benedict Mathurin. Mathurin has played 16 games for the Clippers, averaging 19.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
“We know we've got three tough games,” head coach Tyronn Lue said before Wednesday's game. "We've just got to come out and take it one by one. I know it's back-to-backs, but they're playing hard, competing, and we've got to come out and do the same. We understand who they are. They're playing to win, they're playing for something, and we've got to get stuck in."
The Clippers have fielded only one lineup that has played more than seven games this season, and two players from that lineup – James Harden and Ivica Zubac – were traded in early February. Since the deadline, the Clippers have been checking out different starting units as they try to figure out what works best for them. In total, the Clippers have used 21 different starting lineups, including Wednesday night.
On this three-game trip, the Clippers have the New Orleans Pelicans twice and the Dallas Mavericks once on Saturday night, before returning home for a two-game homestand against the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.
