Clippers Secure Lottery Pick Keaton Wagler Amid Draft Shake‑Ups | JQJO

The long wait is over. With opening night upon us, the Clippers have landed rookie Keaton Wagler in the lottery after the league stripped them of five future first‑round picks. Wagler, who averaged 17.9 points and 4.2 assists as a freshman at Illinois, shot 39.7 percent from deep. The trade of Paul George that brought Kawhi Leonard to Los Angeles depleted the team’s assets, and salary‑cap circumvention penalties cost the Clippers five more first‑round picks. The move could be a decade or more before fans forget the painful results of the Kawhi era.