Prior to the start of the 1983–84 season, Nixon was traded to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to guard Byron Scott. Lakers general manager Jerry West made the deal to free Magic Johnson, the team's other point guard, from sharing the ball with Nixon. In his first year with the Clippers, Nixon led the league in total assists and made the All-Star team for the second time in the 1984–85 season. After the 1985–86 season, he spent much of his later career on the injured list, spending more than two full seasons on the injured list before retiring for good at the end of the 1988–89 season. During his time with the Clippers, he would never make it to the playoffs again.