Despite another bitter failure in the playoffs in the first round, marked by the injuries of their two major players, the Clippers will continue their “process” started in 2019 when Kawhi Leonard And Paul George joined California to launch the start of a new title-winning project.
This is the message sent by Lawrence Frank, the president of the franchise, during his press briefing which punctuates the season. Clearly, we will be on the adjustment rather than big moves.
“When we picked up Paul and signed Kawhi in 2019, it wasn’t for one or two years, nor for three or four years. Every year these guys give you a chance. And so it’s about surrounding them to keep improving our chances.”, did he declare. “Kawhi is a top player. When we study the NBA champion teams, we realize that they all have a top 5 player on their team. Kawhi has shown that when healthy he can be the best player in the world, and Paul is an eight-time All-Star. We will therefore continue to build around these guys and look for all the means to improve ourselves around them”.
The last season in Los Angeles!
As they enter 2023-24 into their final “guaranteed” contract year, with an optional year at just over $48 million apiece for the following season, both players will be eligible for a contract extension at summer course. The Clippers will thus do their utmost to extend them, and thus count on them for the move to Inglewood.
“Both are great players and great partners, and we want them to stay with the Clippers for a long time,” added Lawrence Frank. “So we’re looking forward to having these conversations. And goal number 1 is how to build a sustainable champion team. And these guys have been great partners, so when the time is right, we’ll be looking forward to sitting down with them to chat.”
The cases of Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon and Mason Plumlee on the table
If he announced that Tyronn Lue would also be back next season, Lawrence Frank will also have to work on other big projects like the case of Russell Westbrook, whom everyone would like to see back next season.
The point guard will become a free agent, and the Clippers would currently only have a “non-Bird exception” at 3.8 million dollars to offer him. There will also be the cases of two players whom Lawrence Frank would like to extend: Eric Gordon, whose last year of contract at 20.9 million dollars still not guaranteed could be renegotiated downwards, and Mason Plumlee, who will also be a free agent.
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Kawhi Leonard | 52 | 33.6 | 51.2 | 41.6 | 87.1 | 1.1 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 23.8 |
| Paul George | 56 | 34.6 | 45.7 | 37.1 | 87.1 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 23.8 |
| Norman Powell | 60 | 26.1 | 47.9 | 39.7 | 81.2 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 17.0 |
| Russell Westbrook | 21 | 30.2 | 48.9 | 35.6 | 65.8 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 4.9 | 7.6 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 15.8 |
| John Wall | 34 | 22.2 | 40.8 | 30.3 | 68.1 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 5.2 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 11.4 |
| Marcus Morris | 65 | 28.1 | 42.6 | 36.4 | 78.2 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 11.2 |
| Eric Gordon | 22 | 24.9 | 46.3 | 42.3 | 84.2 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 11.0 |
| Reggie Jackson | 52 | 25.7 | 41.8 | 35.0 | 92.4 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 10.9 |
| Bones Hyland | 14 | 19.0 | 40.1 | 35.1 | 75.0 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 10.8 |
| Ivica Zubac | 76 | 28.5 | 63.4 | 0.0 | 69.7 | 3.1 | 6.8 | 9.9 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 10.8 |
| Terance Mann | 81 | 23.1 | 51.9 | 38.9 | 78.0 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 8.8 |
| Luke Kennard | 35 | 20.7 | 46.4 | 44.7 | 95.0 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 7.8 |
| mason plumlee | 23 | 19.9 | 72.7 | 0.0 | 77.2 | 1.8 | 5.1 | 6.9 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 7.5 |
| Bj Boston, Jr. | 22 | 11.3 | 41.8 | 41.4 | 76.3 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 6.5 |
| Nicholas Batum | 78 | 21.9 | 42.0 | 39.1 | 70.8 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 6.1 |
| Robert Covington | 48 | 16.2 | 44.5 | 39.7 | 75.0 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 6.0 |
| Moses Brown | 34 | 8.5 | 63.5 | 0.0 | 45.8 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 4.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 4.6 |
| Amir Coffey | 50 | 12.5 | 38.6 | 27.5 | 77.8 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 3.4 |
| Jason Preston | 14 | 8.8 | 43.9 | 27.8 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.9 |
| Moussa Diabate | 22 | 8.9 | 51.1 | 50.0 | 62.5 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 2.7 |
| Xavier Moon | 4 | 4.9 | 33.3 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.8 |
