Kawhi Leonard and Paul George’s inability to stay healthy has cost the Los Angeles Clippers another postseason.
Both Leonard and George were sidelined with injuries during the most crucial games vs. the Phoenix Suns in the opening round of the playoffs. Despite that, the duo is eligible for a nearly $200 million contract extension each this summer. The Clippers’ president of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, recently addressed that question in a recent press conference.
“Our process is this, we’ll sit down,” Frank said. “Those guys are great players, great partners, and we want to keep them as Clippers for a long time. So we’ll look forward to those conversations. The number one goal is how can we build a sustainable championship team, and those guys have been great partners. So, at the appropriate time, we’ll look forward to sitting down with them.”
“Those guys are great players, great partners, and we want to keep them as Clippers for a long time… The number 1 goal is how can we build a sustainable championship team.”
Lawrence Frank on Kawhi Leonard, Paul George's potential $200M extensions.
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The Los Angeles Clippers have some thinking to do this summer. If the Clippers decide to run it back with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as the primary superstars of the team, the franchise needs to reach at least the NBA Finals to make this experiment worth it.
The organization is also hoping to bring back Russell Westbrook, who is now an unrestricted free agent. Keeping all that in mind, Frank will remain busy in the offseason.
Clippers GM Threw Shade At Kawhi Leonard And Paul George
While Lawrence Frank has expressed his desire to keep Leonard and George on the roster for the foreseeable future, there are a lot of things that need to be corrected before making that decision.
With that being said, Frank essentially threw shade at the dynamic duo in the same press conference. Frank pointed out that the Clippers need to take the regular season seriously before aspiring to perform well in the playoffs.
“We have to be honest with ourselves,” said Lawrence. “We have to look in the mirror. It starts with me. We have to get back to honoring and respecting the regular season. The regular season matters. Not that our guys don’t think it matters. I think all of us, starting with me, we can compete harder every single day. We can hold each other accountable every day.”
Kawhi and PG13’s health has been the biggest issue for the Clippers over the last four years. The duo gels well together and has the potential to lead the team to an NBA title.
But that’s not worth anything if they are healthy during the most important part of the season. Can the Clippers figure something out this summer? Only time will tell.
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