The Los Angeles Lakers have made efforts to move away from the over-30 core they'd embraced. It's a necessary move, but the unfortunate truth is that the LA Clippers just showed the Lakers what they continue to be deprived of.
In a subtle move that improves the long-term stability of the rotation, the Clippers signed breakout wing Jordan Miller to a mutli-year deal.
It may not seem like a massive move on the surface, but signing Miller is a sign of how strong the Clippers' efforts have been to learn from past mistakes. They'd built a roster with a surplus of over-30 players, but have quietly embraced the value of the hidden gems they've found.
The result has been LA avoiding the depths of long-term despair by beginning the process of building a rotation that actively develops up-and-coming players into reliable contributors.
That may not necessarily protect the Clippers for what may come if Kawhi Leonard either departs or falls victim to an injury, but it certainly helps the goal of complementing him. It's a lesson the Lakers must learn as they search for ways to help Luka Doncic win his first career title.
If the Lakers are unable to utilize the limited draft picks they have to acquire and develop young and cost-efficient talent, there will always be a ceiling to their success.
Clippers signing Jordan Miller proves they're thinking long term
For as flawed as the Clippers may be, when their aging roster faced inevitable issues, they turned to the future. Miller was a second-round draft pick in 2023 and, at 26 years of age, still has potential to explore as an NBA player.
He's rewarded the Clippers for giving him such an opportunity with averages of 12.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 three-point field goals made in 25.6 minutes per game over his past 19 appearances.
Miller isn't alone in his success. Kobe Sanders, a 23-year-old shooting guard, has shot 37.0 percent from beyond the arc during his rookie season. Selected at No. 50 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Clippers have given their second-round pick a sincere opportunity to make an early impact.
Most significantly, when the time finally came for the Clippers to move on from James Harden, they kept their eye on the future and brought back 26-year-old point guard Darius Garland in his place.
Lakers must build a sustainable future for themselves
Furthermore, the Ivica Zubac trade was questionable on some fronts, but LA's priority remained clear: A stronger long-term outlook. It landed 23-year-old scorer Bennedict Mathurin, productive 24-year-old big man Isaiah Jackson, and two first-round picks in an effort to, once again, get younger and more athletic.
The Lakers, meanwhile, have been left grasping for straws in the G League and with former lottery picks who are already playing on minimum contracts.
There is some hope for the future, of course, as Luka Doncic is 26 and Austin Reaves is 27. Furthermore, Jake LaRavia and Dalton Knecht are 24, and both Nick Smith Jr. and Adou Thiero have shown flashes of intrigue at 21 years of age.
One simply can't help but ask: Who is the Lakers' up-and-comer who would realistically be worth signing to a multi-year deal based on immediate value?
A case can be made for LaRavia, who has undoubtedly stepped up for the Lakers. They barely play their closest thing to a Mathurin comp in Knecht, however, and have abandoned enough draft picks to last a lifetime and inevitably compromise their ability to develop talent from within.
Thankfully, the Lakers have their 2026 first-round draft pick and a mountain of cap space. One can only hope they apply it to the purpose of building a sustainable future.