The Clippers want to draft another Alexander at the fifth pick.

As the George and Leonard era concludes, the Clippers still feel the pain of sending away that young man named Alexander at the start of the story. This young man is now the league's most dominant player, having won consecutive MVPs. This may be one of the worst trades in Clippers history, but fortunately, misfortune doesn't last forever.

Last season was supposed to be a hopeless one for the Clippers. They started 6-21, and halfway through the "Northern Expedition" (a term for their comeback attempt), Harden's departure crushed the last hope of making the playoffs. But one trade revived the Clippers' future.

Mid-season, the Clippers sent Zubac to the Pacers in exchange for Mathurin, a 2029 unprotected first-round pick from the Pacers, a 2026 first-round pick from the Pacers (protected for picks 1-4 and 10-30; if not conveyed, it becomes a 2031 unprotected first-round pick), and a 2028 second-round pick from the Mavericks.

The most interesting part is this year's first-round pick. If the Pacers landed in the top four, they would keep it; if not (the Pacers wouldn't fall out of the top ten), it would go to the Clippers. On lottery day, the Pacers indeed fell out of the top four, getting the fifth pick and handing it to the Clippers. The Clippers suddenly got a fifth pick, immediately receiving a rebuilding gift, which also accelerated the process of trading Leonard.

But after calming down, the Clippers face the biggest question: who to pick at the fifth pick. The top four in this draft are set in stone, which is probably why the Pacers protected the top four. Beyond the top four, there is much debate about who is the better prospect. Wagner has a high ceiling but a very low floor; Brown has performed well but has significant injury concerns; Akuffo has immense offensive talent but almost no defense.

In the end, the Clippers chose to take Wagner, who just had a dream season, selecting this tall guard with high potential, mature skills, and a strong underdog mentality.

Wagner was relatively unknown in high school compared to other lottery prospects. He was just a four-star wing, ranked outside the top 150, and only three colleges offered him a scholarship. He eventually chose the University of Illinois.

In college, Wagner, who developed his ball-handling and started playing guard, soared to become the most dominant freshman in the conference. In January against Purdue, Wagner went 13-of-17 from the field, 9-of-11 from three, and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line, exploding for 46 points. This was the highest score by a visiting player in Purdue's history.

Throughout the season, Wagner and Illinois completed an underdog run, leading the team to the Final Four and silencing many experts. The last guard to lead Illinois to the Final Four was Deron Williams 21 years ago.

Wagner averaged 33.9 minutes, 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.8 turnovers per game, shooting 44.5% from the field, 39.7% from three, and 79.6% from the free-throw line. He is 1.96 meters tall barefoot, only 19 years old, and will likely grow to around 2 meters in the future. He weighs 85 kg, with a wingspan of 1.98 meters, and his player comparisons include Haliburton, Reaves, and others.

But in many people's eyes, Wagner's story is similar to Alexander's. In high school, Alexander was a benchwarmer who only played in garbage time, and his coach told him, "You'll never make it to the NBA." At Kentucky, Alexander also rose from the bench, leading the team to the Sweet Sixteen, and was eventually drafted 11th overall.

Both Wagner and Alexander share the same underdog quality and have strong learning abilities, growing and evolving along the way. This is the biggest reason why the Clippers drafted him with the fifth pick; they believe in Wagner's growth potential and see him as the answer to their rebuild.

Wagner's most notable label is a high-level shooter with both volume and efficiency. He is above average in both off-the-dribble and catch-and-shoot situations. His release is smooth and fast, easily adapting to the NBA three-point line. At the same time, he has excellent game reading ability, is good at pick-and-rolls, and creates offensive opportunities on the move.

Throughout the season, the 1.96-meter-tall Wagner did not complete a single dunk. His only attempt at a dunk failed. But this does not mean he is afraid of contact; on the contrary, he is a player who uses rhythm to attack the basket and draw fouls, with good free-throw volume and accuracy.

His biggest weakness is his average physical attributes. His explosiveness and leaping ability are mediocre, and he lacks quick first-step speed. His slender frame gives him almost no post-up ability, and it also means he may never become a great defender.

In the Summer League, Wagner started slow but ended strong, ultimately landing steadily. In four games, he averaged 28.2 minutes, 18 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.2 blocks, 2.2 turnovers, and 4.2 fouls, shooting 38.6% from the field, 33.3% from three, and 80.0% from the free-throw line.

Obviously, at this stage, Wagner does not yet have the ability to play on-ball offense in the NBA. His body is too thin to withstand NBA-level physicality. At the beginning of the season, the Clippers' ball-handling duties will likely fall on Garland, with Wagner playing the shooting guard role and doing some off-ball work, which can also help him adapt to NBA intensity.

Wagner's development timeline may not be as long as imagined. Once he adapts to NBA physicality, puts on some muscle, and finds his college shooting touch, his numbers could skyrocket. Of course, the biggest concern is Wagner losing confidence, so the Clippers should not let him handle a lot of ball-handling from the start and should proceed step by step.

Although I don't think Haliburton is the best comparison for Wagner, Haliburton started out as just a off-ball shooter next to Fox, and only later gradually showed his playmaking abilities, exploding in Indiana. Wagner may not have Haliburton's playmaking flair, but the stage the Clippers give him will be infinitely large.

Moreover, Wagner is a really good-looking guy.