If the Clippers need some convincing that Wagler is worth the No. 5 pick—and they might not; he has a chance to be special—a process of elimination might get them there. They probably don’t have the appetite for another small guard after adding Darius Garland at the trade deadline, and they might question the value of reaching for a center in this spot.
So, maybe Wagler is something of a by-default choice here. Or, again, maybe he’s someone they just really like. It could easily be the latter, as his positional size (6’6″), lights-out shooting, penchant for passing and turnover avoidance can help him thrive as either an on-ball creator or an off-ball spacer and secondary passer.
Defense and athleticism don’t earn high marks, but everything else in his profile looks promising. If nothing else, a Garland-Wagler backcourt would be awfully hard to handle for opposing defenses.
