Clippers want ‘to win with Kawhi,’ team exec Lawrence Frank says

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) - The Los Angeles Clippers are committed to a future with Kawhi Leonard as they transition from being the oldest team in the NBA to a younger one.

"Our plan is to win with Kawhi," Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said Friday. "At the appropriate time, we'll sit down with Kawhi and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan and if our goals are aligned, then we'd like to win with Kawhi."

Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists while playing in 65 games this season. He turns 35 in June and will enter the final year of a $149.5 million, three-year contract extension that he signed in 2024.

The Clippers would owe him $50.3 million next season, and they can extend his contract for two more seasons after the NBA Finals in June.

After a 6-21 start, the Clippers finished with a winning record (42-40) for the 15th consecutive season. They blew a 13-point lead at home in the final 10 minutes and lost 126-121 to Golden State in a play-in tournament game that ended their season.

Asked about his future Wednesday, Leonard said, "Let me cry about this loss a little bit more. We'll have our discussions when that time comes."

Leonard is missing the playoffs for the first time in his career when healthy. In his seven seasons with the Clippers, they reached the Western Conference finals in 2021 and lost in the first round the three previous years.

Also looming over the organization is the NBA's ongoing investigation involving Leonard's endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt former team sponsor, Aspiration. An outside law firm is looking into whether the deal was a way for the Clippers to circumvent the league's salary cap.

"I think that we're going to be in the clear," Leonard said Wednesday, "so I'm not stressing it."

Frank said the investigation, which began in September, had no effect on the season.

"If you know (owner) Steve (Ballmer) and know Steve's integrity, you know there's nothing to it," he said. "We believe and we've very confident we're on the right side of this."

Even at the team's lowest point, Frank said, there was never any consideration given to firing coach Tyronn Lue.

"I thought Ty and the staff did an unbelievable job," he said.

Frank met Thursday with the players and basketball operations team to share his viewpoint on the season. It'll be another week or so before the team holds individual exit interviews.

"We're in this bridge period from competitive to get to contender," Frank said. "We do have great hope and optimism with our future. We've put ourselves in a very good position with emerging young players, draft capital and cap space going forward."

The team's young returning corps includes Darius Garland, Derrick Jones Jr., Isaiah Jackson and Yanic Konan Niederhauser.

Veteran John Collins is an unrestricted free agent, while Bennedict Mathurin is a restricted free agent. The Clippers hold team options on Kris Dunn, Nicolas Batum, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Brook Lopez, Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders.

"With any roster move," Frank said, "how does it help us get closer to contention?"