Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
The LA Clippers and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank agreed to a multiyear contract extension, four league sources told The Athletic. Contract details were not disclosed, though the extension is believed to be for four years. The Athletic reported in December that Frank and his senior staff were on track for contract extensions. Extensions for other front office staff are still expected to be developed, per league sources.
In the release announcing Paul's signing, Frank said Paul would play a "reserve" role. Multiple sources said Frank described Paul's role as very limited to multiple players, who were concerned about how Paul's presence might affect their own roles. Over the course of several discussions during the summer, Paul, who started 82 games last season for the San Antonio Spurs, had said he was OK with the outlines of that role, sources said. But he had also stressed that he wanted a chance to compete and that he'd do the best he could to be an extension of the coaching staff.
Frank chose Atlanta, but the meeting got pushed back because the team's flight was delayed out of Miami by six hours, after another loss. Around 11 p.m., inside Frank's hotel room at the Four Seasons, he told Paul of the team's plans to send Paul home, adding that he hoped to work with Paul on how the statement would be announced and that he hoped the team could still retire Paul's jersey one day, sources said. Paul was stunned, sources said, and tried to plead his case. At one point, he brought teammate Brook Lopez into the room as something of a character witness. Lopez and Leonard were Paul's most ardent supporters on the team, sources said. Paul reminded Frank that he'd asked him to facilitate another meeting with Lue and that hadn't happened. Frank acknowledged that, but held firm. The decision had been made.
Joey Linn: Ty Lue on the relationship between he and Lawrence Frank, specifically as NBA trade season begins: “We always work close together. Lawrence has been a great partner. Us trying to be on the same page, understanding what we need, what we wanna do. We’ve always been on the same page… He understands the game, he’s been a coach… We’ve always been on the same page as far as the talent you wanna get, who you wanna try to get, the players you wanna try to get. It doesn’t workout all the time. You can’t get the guys you want every single year… It’s a tough business. We always stay locked in, and we’re hand in hand.”
Law Murray: Back at Clippers practice, the first at home in a while Jordan Miller (hamstring, back) back on the floor Lawrence Frank looking on
Advertisement
Things are bad, but apparently not dire. Lawrence Frank was emphatic Wednesday in support of Lue as coach, calling him “my partner,” one “hell of a coach, and offering that Lue is “going to continue to be the coach here for a long time.” The same could be true for Frank and the executives under him. Ballmer, and Frank, value continuity above almost all else, and it doesn’t appear any major changes are in consideration. Multiple league sources briefed on the discussions said Frank and his associates were on track to receive contract extensions, with one source saying those extensions “have been in the planning stages for a while. It hasn’t happened yet, but it will.” Clippers’ sources emphasized ownership’s commitment to continuity, but said discussions of contract extensions were “premature.”
But Frank said the Clippers still should be better, much better, than this, especially on defense. Ivica Zubac was a contender for defensive player of the year last season and still anchors LA’s defense, yet a very good defensive team from last season has become one of the league’s worst so far this year. “Obviously, we’re in the results business — we can’t just keep losing games, but it’s how we look,” Frank said. “You watch us play, we went from an elite defensive team to one of the worst defensive teams. And even with the trades, we made this offseason, we didn’t really trade any of our defensive players. And then offensively having a flow or rhythm. It’s what it looks like. And then just the effort and all the things. And if we start doing those things, then our talent will show out what we are. I just think we’re a whole lot better than where we’re at. We haven’t deserved to win and we have to deserve to win. You have to earn it.”
Lou Williams: Okay, he’s at the end of his career. He’s not producing at the level that you want or expected him to in year 20. And you tell him to go home in — in the middle of the night. You just don’t do that. So, for me, this isn’t a Clippers thing. It’s an isolated issue with L. Frank way that he’s gone about treating certain players that he feels like has been disrespectful or not on the same page with him. He has a way of doing business with these guys. This isn’t a Clippers thing. I was a part of building culture there. I was a part of trying to make them a respected organization in the city of LA when you’re — when you’re sharing that fan base with — with clearly a Lakers town. I was a part of that. But there’s one particular person in these scenarios who is the common denominator for how things look in the optics when it comes to these type of situations."
Lou Williams: This is a person that told me I can relax. I’m not getting traded. 15 minutes later, I was an Atlanta Hawk. And now we have this scenario. And you guys been working with me. This is going on year three. I’ve held my tongue and not been critical of L. Frank because that’s not really my style. I didn’t want to be the scorned ex-girlfriend. I didn’t want to be that person. So I never spoke about him in this manner. But when you do this to a guy, and I’ma keep harping on it — that ‘three’ was going up in the — in the rafters. That ‘three’ was going up. And you do this to that guy? Like, okay, cool. He’s talking? Okay, cool. He got a lot to say? Chris Paul has always had a lot to say. You know what you’re signing up for when you sign Chris Paul. He’s always had a lot to say.
DeMarcus Cousins on Lawrence Frank: What qualifies you in that position to just end career after career after career of high-quality players when you haven’t achieved anything in your position or any position that you’ve ever been in in the NBA? You’ve never been a championship GM, championship coach. Like what qualifies him to be able to do these type of things to different players in their careers? That’s my issue with this. Like, what have you proven to be able to end a career? It makes no sense to me.
Advertisement
League sources say Paul had several meetings recently with Clippers officials regarding their concerns with his approach, with one source indicating that there was a request for him to stop with the “locker room lawyering.” League sources said Paul was openly critical of the team in a film session on Tuesday, but — as Frank indicated — the decision to move on from Paul had already been made.
Paul, league sources said, had planned on attending the men’s basketball game at his alma mater, Wake Forest, and then rejoining the Clippers in Atlanta afterwards. But he changed his plans because of Frank’s urgent request, spending the first part of Tuesday attending an art festival in Miami before hopping on the team’s chartered flight that was scheduled to land in Atlanta around 6 p.m. local time.
Paul called out fellow Clippers players, coaches and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank during his current stint with the team, a league source told The Times. The person added that Paul apologized, but “everyone was fed up.”