The Los Angeles Clippers had the 30th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft where center Yanic Konan Niederhauser was selected out of Penn State. Let’s take a look at the Clippers best NBA draft picks in franchise history. It’s not necessarily the 10 best players ranked in order as where they were selected was taken into consideration. Only time with the team is credited. Their time as the Buffalo Braves and San Diego Clippers is included. Some honorable mentions include Elmore Smith, Terry Cummings, Michael Cage, Benoit Benjamin, Lamond Murray, Maurice Taylor, Al Thornton, and Eric Gordon.
10 Best NBA Draft Picks In Los Angeles Clippers History
10. Lamar Odom (4th overall, 1998)
Lamar Odom grabs the last spot over a few other players who didn’t spend a long time with the team. Odom played four seasons for the Clippers, proving to be one of the game’s more versatile young forwards at the time. His seven triple-doubles are tied for the most in franchise history.
9. Terance Mann (48th overall, 2019)
As a mid-second round pick, Terance Mann gets on here as someone who started 168 games with the Clippers. He averaged double figures in scoring in 2021-22 and shot 49.8% from the field (37.1% on threes) while with LA. Mann had 15 outings of at least 20 points with the team.
8. Ken Norman (19th overall, 1987)
Ken Norman’s first six seasons in the NBA were with the Clippers. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged at least 15 poults in four of them while also shooting over 50% from the field each time. On March 25, 1989, Norman recorded a triple-double of 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists.
7. Chris Kaman (6th overall, 2003)
An All-Star in 2008-09, Chris Kaman spent eight seasons with the Clippers. The 7-foot center averaged a double-double in 2007-08 as well as a career-best 2.8 blocks. He is fourth in team history with 707 rejections and eighth with 4,109 rebounds.
6. Danny Manning (1st overall, 1988)
A 6-foot-10 forward, Danny Manning became an All-Star in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. He averaged 19.1 points with the Clippers on solid efficiency (51.8% field goal shooting). He’s seventh in franchise history with 7,120 points.
5. Loy Vaught (13th overall, 1990)
In 1996-97 and 1997-98, Loy Vaught averaged a double-double in points and rebounds. He is top-10 in franchise history in points (6,614 – ninth) and rebounds (4,471 – fourth). From 1994-95 until 1996-97, Vaught posted averages of 16.2 points (on 51.3% shooting), 9.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals.
4. DeAndre Jordan (35th overall, 2008)
A success story as a second round pick, DeAndre Jordan was named to the All-NBA first team in 2015-16 (also made two third teams). In his 10 seasons with the Clippers, he led the league in rebounding twice and field goal percentage five times. Jordan is the all-time franchise leader in games played (750), rebounds (7,988), and blocks (1,277).
3. Blake Griffin (1st overall, 2009)
The 2010-11 Rookie of the Year, Blake Griffin helped bring excitement back to a Clippers franchise. The high-flyer averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in his first two seasons while earning four All-NBA nods with LA. The Clippers advanced to the second round three times with Griffin, an infrequent occurrence prior to his arrival.
2. Randy Smith (104th overall, 1971)
Look at the franchise’s all-time scoring list, and Randy Smith’s name is atop it with 12,735 points. Pretty good for a player not even selected top-100 in his draft. He also had a then-record 902 consecutive games played (mostly done with Buffalo/San Diego) and was named an All-Star twice.
1. Bob McAdoo (2nd overall, 1972)
While Bob McAdoo spent just four-plus years with Buffalo, they were dominant ones. He won the franchise’s only MVP in 1974-75, and was runner-up in the two seasons sandwiched around it. The 1972-73 Rookie of the Year won three straight scoring titles from 1973-74 until 1975-76.
Photo credit: © STEVE SISNEY / USA TODAY NETWORK
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