Pursuing an older roster in their bid for a championship, this NBA team adopts an unusual strategy.
The Los Angeles Clippers have made a bold move in the NBA, assembling a roster with an average age of 33.2 years for the 2025-26 season, making them officially the oldest roster in NBA history [2]. This surpasses the previous record held by the Stockton-Malone Utah Jazz.
Key veteran players contributing to this age include Chris Paul at 40 years old, Brook Lopez at 37, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Bradley Beal, who is 32 [1][4]. This contrasts with newer, younger NBA contenders and raises questions about athletic endurance versus veteran savvy [1][2][4].
The Clippers' top basketball executive, Lawrence Frank, has expressed excitement about the team's roster and is not concerned about the team's age. Frank believes in putting the best possible team on the court while staying disciplined to their plan [3].
This roster benefits from deep experience and versatility, but concerns exist about whether "old legs" can compete against younger, faster teams, as demonstrated by recent NBA Finals between younger teams [1].
The Clippers' roster, which could consist of 11 players, has an average age of more than 33 years old, which would be a record in NBA history. The team has signed several older players, including Brook Lopez, Nicolas Batum, James Harden, Bradley Beal, and Chris Paul, who has recently signed as the latest offseason acquisition [5].
The Clippers' strategy to prioritize experience over youth comes after a 2019 trade with Oklahoma City hamstrung the number of available first-round picks the Clippers could use to theoretically rebuild their roster through the draft. The Clippers have not begun a youth movement due to limited resources and philosophical reasons [6].
The Clippers have tried giving second chances to young, talented players who had burned through their welcome with previous teams, but none has panned out. Only three players in the Clippers' expected rotation are under 30 years old [7].
The Clippers' long-term plan includes wiping clean virtually the entire current payroll within two seasons. After losing in the playoffs' first round, Houston decided it needed additional experience to realize its potential [8].
The Clippers' new Inglewood arena was recently opened, and Chris Paul, a former player for the Los Angeles Clippers, was shown around the arena by Steve Ballmer, the Clippers' owner [9]. The Clippers' roster, with an average age older than 33 years, could potentially break the record for the oldest roster in NBA history.
References: 1. NBA.com 2. ESPN.com 3. LA Times 4. Sports Illustrated 5. The Athletic 6. Bleacher Report 7. Yahoo Sports 8. CBS Sports 9. Forbes
The Los Angeles Clippers' upcoming roster for the 2025-26 season, with an average age surpassing 33 years, stands to break the record for the oldest roster in NBA history. Significantly, this roster includes veteran players like Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Bradley Beal, all of whom are over 30 years old, marking a clear emphasis on experience in the NBA's basketball scene.
