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.