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Clippers president Lawrence Frank: ‘We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the fans’

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Updated28 Sep 2023

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Clippers president Lawrence Frank - We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the fans Paul George Kawhi Leonard

Los Angeles Clippers president Lawrence Frank plans to continue building around star players Kawhi Leonard and Paul George after an underwhelming season plagued by injuries and questionable front office decisions. On Tuesday, the Phoenix Suns eliminated the Clippers in five games of the first-round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

George missed the final nine games of the regular season and the entire first round because of a sprained right knee. Likewise, Leonard played the first two playoff games against Phoenix before suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee, forcing him to miss the final three contests.

Per multiple NBA betting sites, since the Clippers are now eliminated, the Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Denver Nuggets each hold better odds to win the championship. Sportsbooks still show the Boston Celtics as the top favorite.

“When we traded for Paul and signed Kawhi as a free agent in 2019, it wasn’t for one or two years, wasn’t three or four,” Frank said. “Every year you have those guys, they give you a chance. And so it’s about surrounding those guys to continue to improve your chances. … We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the fans.

“… Kawhi’s a ceiling raiser. When you study past NBA champions, they have a top-five guy on their team, and Kawhi has shown that when healthy he can be the best player in the world. … So, we’re going to continue to build around those guys and look for every which way [to improve around them].”

Leonard’s torn meniscus injury is in the same right knee he tore his ACL in during the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. His ACL injury sidelined him for the entire 2021-22 season. The Clippers had George and Leonard healthy for only 38 games due to injuries.

Clippers president Lawrence Frank plans to continue to build around star players Paul George and Kawhi Leonard

Both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are eligible for extensions worth as much as $220 million for four years. In 2020, George voided his player option and signed a four-year, $176 million max extension with the Clippers.

The eight-time All-Star earned $42,492,568 this season and is set to make $45,640,165 next season. Plus, the guard has a $48,787,763 player option for the 2024-25 season as well.

Additionally, Leonard inked a four-year, $176.27 million contract with Los Angeles in 2021. The two-time Finals MVP made $42,492,492 this season and is projected to earn $45,640,084 in the 2023-24 season. The 11-year veteran also has a $48,787,676 player option for the 2024-25 season.

Furthermore, the Clippers adding George and Leonard to the roster was a step in the right direction. Signing John Wall to a multi-year deal last offseason? Not so much. Wall averaged career lows of 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 22.2 points per game in 34 appearances with L.A.

As part of a three-team trade in February, the Clippers traded Wall and a 2023 first-round draft pick to the Houston Rockets; the Rockets traded Eric Gordon to Los Angeles; the Clippers dealt Luke Kennard and a 2026 second-rounder to the Memphis Grizzlies; Memphis moved Danny Green to Houston; and the Grizzlies traded two 2024 second-rounders and a 2027 second-rounder to the Clippers.

Moreover, Lawrence Frank also plans to bring Russell Westbrook back next season. The nine-time All-NBA member is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Westbrook led the Clippers in points (23.6 PPG), rebounds (7.6 RPG), and assists (7.4 APG) in their first-round series against Pheonix.

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