The Clippers schedule down the stretch is brutal, too. Every team left is in the playoff / play-in hunt other than Portland.
74 Thu, Mar 23, 2023 10:30p Oklahoma City Thunder
75 Sat, Mar 25, 2023 10:30p New Orleans Pelicans
76 Mon, Mar 27, 2023 10:30p Chicago Bulls
77 Wed, Mar 29, 2023 8:00p @ Memphis Grizzlies
78 Fri, Mar 31, 2023 8:00p @ Memphis Grizzlies
79 Sat, Apr 1, 2023 8:30p @ New Orleans Pelicans
80 Wed, Apr 5, 2023 10:00p Los Angeles Lakers
81 Sat, Apr 8, 2023 4:00p Portland Trail Blazers
82 Sun, Apr 9, 2023 3:30p @ Phoenix Suns
And I've said this before about that Clippers/Thunder trade, but it looks worse on paper for the Clips than it actually is because it also essentially netted them Kawhi. Still, they've got jack shit to show for it so far and OKC is set up well for the future. The Thunder are going to need some things to break just right for them to really maximize those picks but they've got multiple shots to be drafting in the lottery while still competing. At some point, though, they just aren't going to have the roster space or enough development minutes to keep cycling in rookies.