Several Los Angeles Clippers fans were not exactly encouraged by what they’ve seen so far from Keaton Wagler in NBA Summer League.
Wagler had a middling performance Tuesday in a 99-85 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The Clippers’ No. 5 overall pick struggled with his shot, going 3/12 from the field before a late flurry improved his final clip with the game already out of reach.
The Illinois product still finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, but had a team-worst -17 during his time on the floor. A handful of fans also gave him failing marks when it came to the eye test, with some expressing serious concern about his athleticism at the next level.
Wagler literally cannot get by a single defender. Those spin moves are too slow to work in the NBA. He needs a massive overhaul to his handle like SGA made.
— Clipper Revival (@Clipper_Revival) July 15, 2026
I can't believe I bought into the Keaton Wagler hype. I'm watching him right now and he doesn't even feel close to a lottery draft type player atm. Hoping I'm wrong…
— Primewire (@Primewire4) July 15, 2026
I’m sorry I’m a die hard clippers fan and will ride for every single one of our players but if you don’t see major concerns with Keaton Wagler you’re in denial
— AMB🫀 (@AMBGotAura) July 15, 2026
Guys I genuinely don’t know if I’m being overly negative or just real but Wagler has been extremely disappointing man
— HoodieBev (@HoodieBev) July 15, 2026
It didn’t help that Wagler got outplayed by Lakers rookie Cameron Carr, who was taken 19 spots below him in last month’s draft. Carr poured in a game-high 23 points on 8/18 shooting, including several flashes of brilliance in the second half when matched up with Wagler.
Of course, all the criticism of Wagler comes with the caveat that it’s based on a few Summer League outings. The Clippers youngster just scored 39 points across his last two games, and fans are already calling him a bust.
At 19 years old, Wagler is far from a finished product. But he’ll already have his fair share of doubters coming into his first NBA season.
