Lawrence Frank stated that the LA Clippers would continue focusing on developing around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George despite a disappointing, injury-marred first-round exit to end a campaign that started with championship hopes. A healthy Leonard and George continue to give the Clippers a chance to win a championship, according to the president of basketball operations for the team in his season-ending speech. It has been tough to keep their two franchise stars healthy. Due to a sprained right knee, George missed the first round of play and the final nine games of the regular season. And Leonard led the Clippers to a five-game series victory over the Phoenix Suns before suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee and being forced to miss the three final games of the series.
“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…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.”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. Paul is an eight-time All-Star now. So we’re going to continue to build around those guys and look for every which way to improve around them.”- Frank said.
Frank acknowledged Kwahi Leonard’s meniscus tear and said LA Clippers and Leonard would decide on Leonard’s next course of action for recovery in the coming weeks. In the second round of the playoffs in 2021, Leonard tore his ACL in the same knee that now has a meniscus injury. Leonard missed the entire 2021–22 season due to his ACL injury. In addition, Leonard suffered a quadriceps injury in his right leg, which prevented him from playing in all but nine games for San Antonio in the 2017–18 season. Regardless of the treatment for the meniscus Kawhi will be ready for next year,” Frank said. “The encouraging thing is the ACL’s firmly intact, which is great. So this is a meniscus tear. And then over the whatever next couple weeks, figure out what’s going to be the best source of treatment.”
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According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, Leonard and George are qualified for extensions worth up to an additional four years and $220 million. With $48 million in player options for the 2024–25 season, both superstars are entering their fifth season with the LA Clippers. Due to injuries, the Clippers’ star duo was only available for 38 games during the previous season. Leonard and George have played in 142 regular season and postseason games together throughout their four seasons together, during which the Clippers have a 96-46 record. Frank was asked if the Clippers would extend the contracts of the two key members of the franchise. Beginning on July 12, Leonard and George are both eligible for a delay and on September 1.
“Those guys are great players and they’re great partners and we want to keep them as Clippers for a long time,” Frank said. “And so we’ll look forward to those conversations. And the No. 1 goal is how can we build a sustainable championship team. And those guys have been great partners, so, at the appropriate time, we look forward to sitting down with them”. Frank said “ We’re blessed to have a chairman who’s all in to try to capitalize on the window we’re in”. “At the same time, it’s our job to be responsible and make responsible decisions. The new CBA will have implications. Not just this, but over the next couple of years, and always hard decisions will have to be made.”
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