As the February 5 trade deadline has elapsed, the Clippers look like a much different team than they did a week before the trade deadline. They have traded Ivica Zubac and James Harden, two key pieces of their starting lineup, as they look to continue surging back from an abysmal start to the season.
Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations for the Clippers, sat down for a press conference today and addressed the aftermath of the trades, Kawhi Leonard’s future, and other related things around the franchise.
“There were a lot of tears,” said Frank, while talking about the farewell given to Ivica Zubac. He “embodies everything we want as a Clipper,” Frank further added.
“We didn’t want to trade him, but if there’s an offer that’s just too good to say no to, that enhances our future, we’re gonna have to seriously think about it,” said Frank as he revealed that Zubac was given a reassurance with a condition just hours before executing the trade.
The Croatian big man reportedly spent six-to-eight hours he spent in the facility, saying his goodbyes. He had spent seven seasons on the team and was a nightly double-double threat for the Clippers.
He was averaging 14.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 61.3% from the field before being traded to the Pacers. The trade landed Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson on the Clippers, both of whom are immediately ready for action.
Meanwhile, as a result of the other major trade, Darius Garland landed with the Clippers and now remains out with a toe injury. Lawrence Frank reportedly said the Clippers are not going to skip any steps in Darius Garland’s injury recovery.
He said his right toe is better, but he’s still recovering from left toe surgery. And the team plans to allow him significant time for rest and not rush his return.
“We weren’t intending to trade James. But basically the last week, this opportunity came to us. What I really appreciate about James, there’s no bullshit with James. He over-delivered during his time here; he carried us,” said Frank on James Harden’s trade, resonating with similar sentiments as Zubac’s trade.
In the 44 games that Harden played for the Clippers this season, he averaged 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 41.9% from the field and 34.7% from beyond the three-point line. These trades came as a means for the team to now go younger while also maintaining their winning surge.
Clippers President Speaks On Kawhi Leonard’s Future Amid Aspiration Scandal
Kawhi Leonard, who had found himself in the middle of the Aspiration scandal in the offseason, is now the next big question for the Clippers to answer as the star forward nears free agency.
“We haven’t learned anything more than what we learned in September. To be honest, it doesn’t impact anything that we do… We feel the same way that we did in September, that we’re on the right side of this,” said Frank while addressing the Aspiration controversy that happened in relation to Leonard’s contract.
The 34-year-old star will enter the final season of his contract with the Clippers in 2026-27, expected to earn $50.3 million before becoming an unrestricted free agent. While the team is reportedly looking to go younger, Leonard has somehow still found a place in the team’s plans.
During the press conference, Frank further spoke about Kawhi Leonard’s future with the team and elaborated on those plans.
“We definitely see a scenario where he’s part of the group going forward. Look — Kawhi, when healthy, is arguably one of the top-five players in this league. No one is playing better than him over this last 7-week stretch.”
Leonard nearly missed out on being an All-Star despite averaging a career-best in scoring and free-throw percentage. He is currently averaging 28.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 49.5% from the field, 38.9% from beyond the arc, and 91.4% from the free-throw line.
“Similar to what we did in other summers, we always get together with Kawhi and his representatives, and we lay out what the plan is. The number one priority for Kawhi is the same number one priority for the Clippers organization. We want to win a championship,” Frank explained.
“How do we do it together? This is what it looks like. Yes, we’ve been very transparent with how we’ve treated the 27-28 space. And that’s kinda what factored into the nature of James’ last contract and the mutual option.”
The Clippers reportedly did not want to extend Harden beyond 2027 for the same reason that puts Leonard’s future into question: their desire to go younger. Yet, Frank explained how that isn’t the case with Leonard.
“We also, because we prioritized it, it’s not just used in free agency. Darius is a great example of that… Would you rather have space or would you rather have Darius? We would rather have Darius. Same thing with Kawhi.”
“We can continue and look forward to building with Kawhi, while still acknowledging we’re going to need more. We’ll go through every step of what that looks like, whether it’s free agency, whether it’s a trade, or whether it’s the draft.”
“But Kawhi has been a great partner, and I anticipate him being a great partner moving forward,” concluded Frank.
Entering an expiring contract on a team that is publicly saying they are planning to go younger creates a major dilemma even for Leonard. The former NBA champion arrived on the Clippers with the intention of making his own legacy in his hometown and potentially retiring with the team.
But considering how they treated Chris Paul in his farewell tour of the NBA, do you think Leonard should stick with the franchise or eventually not extend and leave as a free agent in the summer of 2027? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
