It took the LA Clippers just two weeks to lose all hope for the 2026-27 season. Through the first seven games of the season, the Clippers have looked completely helpless, as they sit at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 1-6 record.

Once injured players return, the Clippers will surely look better. But the writing is on the wall. This team is not good enough to compete for a postseason spot. The quicker the front office comes to this realization, the sooner it can make the necessary moves to set the franchise on the right path.

Clippers' 1-6 Start Should Augur Selling at the Trade Deadline

What needs to happen is a fire sale between now and the trade deadline in February. Especially after the cap circumvention punishment, the Clippers are bereft of future draft capital. Being sellers will help them recoup some of the assets they lost.

Moving early has the additional benefit of setting the market. Before another team puts its veterans on the market, the Clippers can dictate the price tag of their veterans. If they don't let playoff hopefuls fill their roster needs elsewhere, the Clippers can get more for their own players in trades.

There are still veterans on the roster with trade value. Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. should have plenty of suitors. Especially considering they are on expiring, team-friendly contracts, they can bring back a first-round pick or an intriguing young player.

Brook Lopez is another one. He is off to a solid start, but he is 38 years old. There is no reason for the Clippers to re-sign him next offseason. There have to be teams willing to give up a few second-round picks for a quality backup center like Lopez.

But that's not where it should stop. Besides Keaton Wagler, there shouldn't be any untouchables on the roster. Even Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Kobe Sanders, who are in their early 20s and only in their second season, should be gettable for the right price. This has to be all about accumulating future assets and maximizing the ones you already have.

The biggest pieces to move are, of course, Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram. For Garland to have positive trade value at a $42.1 million salary for this season, he needs to start playing better. Ingram, on the other hand, has to return and play well. But his expiring contract could be appealing to some teams in the league.

The complicating factor here is the suspensions to the Clippers' front office. Lawrence Frank and Steve Ballmer are both suspended until after the trade deadline as a result of the Kawhi Leonard investigation. Will the interim decision-makers feel emboldened enough to make these moves? Or will the status quo feel like the easier path?

Unfortunately, this Clippers team isn't going anywhere this season. Can they still win 35 games if the injured players return on time and play well? Sure. But what is the point in that? The wiser move is to turn veterans into future assets and rebuild for the future. Let's see if the organization will see the writing on the wall.