If two more signs! The Clippers 15-man lineup will be released next season, and the "Big Five" will compete for the championship

In the 2025 offseason where the NBA arms race is becoming increasingly fierce, the Los Angeles Clippers have completed a series of shocking league operations with the Thunder. From filling the lineup shortcomings to recruiting superstars, they are transforming from a team that has been trapped by injuries and lineup defects for many years to tremble in the "space fleet" that shocks the entire West. Especially when Powell is sent away, league insiders generally have a premonition that bigger moves are coming. Sure enough, many authoritative reporters have revealed one after another: the Clippers are pursuing star guard Bradley Bill who will be bought out by the Suns, and are already in the lead. While the outside world is still digesting the news of Bill joining, the Clippers' reinforcement has quietly moved to a higher dimension - signing legendary point guard Chris Paul to build a truly "Big Five" lineup.

If Paul and Bill can finally join, the Clippers will successfully form a star-studded 15-man lineup, which is called "Luxury Battleship" by the US media. The construction logic of this lineup not only meets the needs of combat power, but also takes into account future development potential. Let's take a look at the specific situation:

Starting lineup: point guard Harden, point guard Bill, small forward Leonard, power forward Collins, and center Zubac

Harden acts as the tactical starting point, activates Collins' down/outside bullets and Bill's weak side projection through pick-and-roll; Honard focuses on hard solutions in the middle distance and breaks the scoring drought in the critical moments of the playoffs; Bill's off-ball run creates breakthrough space for Harden and forms a multi-point offensive network. Although there are hidden dangers in the backcourt defense, the Clippers make up for their shortcomings through forward configurations - Leonard is still the league's top single defense expert, Collins provides reliable defense replacement capabilities, Jones Jr. and Dunn form a "defensive vanguard" group, Zubac is in charge of the inside, and Lopez provides a coordinated defense frame. This three-dimensional defensive system makes the Clippers ranked third in the league last season, and is expected to further improve in the new season.

There are 10 substitutes left: Paul, Dunn, Bogdan, Jones Jr., Locke, Christie, Batum, Kobe Brown, Conan Needhausen and Kobe Sanders.

The cleverness of the Clippers management lies in the balance of long-term goals. All new players signings remain flexible: Collins and Bill have not expired contracts or short contracts, and Paul is expected to sign a basic salary. This operation gives the team only the guaranteed contracts of Harden ($51.4 million) and Leonard ($50.3 million) in the summer of 2027, with a total salary being controlled at around $96 million (the league salary cap is 165 million), which gives the team more operational space; the team's potential future goals include Antetokounmpo and Jokic, and the Clippers can complete the smooth transition from "old warships" to "new and old combination", and the boss Ballmer has received box office guarantee.

However, it is not easy for the Clippers to compete for the championship: the Thunder in the West have the young core of Alexander + Homgren and defend the championship; the Rockets have greatly increased their strength by Durant and others; the Nuggets retain the Jokic + Murray championship combination, the West has a "five-strong competition" pattern, and the Cavaliers and Knicks in the East are all threats, so what do you think of the Clippers' record next season? Welcome to discuss in the comment section!