The Clippers version Paul George And Kawhi Leonard will they manage to have a season without injuries? That’s all we hope for from the City of Angels, and it’s starting off pretty well since Lawrence Frank announced two pieces of good news during its pre-season press conference. After finishing the season in the infirmary, the two leaders are back on their feet to begin the training camp planned in Hawaii starting next Tuesday.
“Both are in good health. I think both have had extremely productive offseasons, and it’s obvious that our two best players are fully committed to doing big things for the Clippers. They’re showing it through their actions, so I think we’re very happy that they’re both healthy and will be fully participating in camp,” the Clippers president said Wednesday.
Between overtime and pressure?
While they never gave up despite the physical problems that regularly undermined their hopes, the Clippers intend to do their utmost to see this shock tandem achieve great things. And while the two are already getting closer to their “player option” at $48 million each for 2024-2025, the Californian franchise is already doing everything possible to encourage them to extend. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are indeed eligible for four-year extensions for $223 million each.
“We’re always trying to maximize Kawhi and PG’s shooting window and take advantage of that. We have had constant conversations with them (since they became eligible for an extension) and with their representatives, and we hope they will remain Clippers when the time is right.”, added Lawrence Frankwho also highlighted the quality of the rest of the roster to convince himself that the Clippers were still on the right track. “I hope we have created an environment where players not only want to come, but also want to stay. And we have a good track record in terms of being able to keep players. So it will be a process and we will be frank with each other. But we hope that we can continue to build around these guys and that they remain Clippers”.
The Clippers’ final season in Los Angeles
Still, nothing has yet been signed… Declaring that everyone had “something to prove”, Lawrence Frank has thus put a little pressure on this season like no other since the franchise will move in June, to settle down in Inglewood. As a reminder, Tyronn Lue could also have been extended this summer, which has not yet been confirmed. For the moment, the leader denies any calculation.
“As for T-Lue, he has two years left on his contract. We love T-Lue, we want him to coach here for a long time. He’s one of the best coaches in the league. There’s always a good time for this kind of thing.” he clarified. “For PG and Kawhi, we have very, very frank discussions that the goal is to keep them at the Clippers. So it’s not a pressure move. But I think each of us, myself included, feels a huge responsibility and takes responsibility for how we can all improve.”
