![]() Lue also has always wanted a guard capable of pushing the pace and producing easier baskets, either via the fast break or by putting pressure on the rim. While Frank talks up wings often, Lue has said he prefers having a traditional point guard in his rotation, if not in the starting lineup. ![]() Lue was a major advocate for Westbrook, and he started him right away despite the Lakers benching him after the first week of the 2022-23 season. And the best Oklahoma City Thunder season since Kevin Durant left in 2016 wasn’t with Westbrook or Paul George it was Paul’s lone season there in 2020, when the Thunder won 61.1 percent of the games in the pandemic-shortened season. ![]() Paul is notorious for his teams grinding in the regular season: the then- Hornets (2008), Clippers (2014), Rockets (2018) and Suns (2022) each had their best regular seasons in franchise history with Paul at the point. I would rather double, triple, quadruple down on players that fit around those guys and then be creative and try to figure out some different ways to figure it out.”įrank’s direct message during late April exit interviews was that the Clippers needed to compete harder, from his level as the top personnel executive to the coaching staff to the players. But would we do that at the expense of taking a lesser player? We wouldn’t. And yet, we feel really, really good that we’re going to build a championship team around Kawhi and Paul … I do honor and respect the question that skill-set wise, yeah. “CP, he is called the ‘Point God,’ right? That’s why he’s one of one. “We had one of the greatest point guards of the last, I don’t know, generations,” Frank said ahead of the 2022 trade deadline after trading Eric Bledsoe to Portland in a deal that left the Clippers without a rotation point guard outside of Reggie Jackson while Leonard and George were on long-term injury absences. Though Frank (and the rest of the Clippers front office) warmed up to Westbrook from the time he was first available in February to the end of April, Frank has always said he prefers a shooter on the floor with Leonard and George.įrank has often been asked about Paul over the last three seasons, because while the Clippers keep changing point guards, it always comes back to Paul. Why are the Clippers interested in Paul? Simply put, Paul is the rare intersection of player who satisfies president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, head coach Tyronn Lue and one of the stars (Leonard). (Chicago? Miami? Portland? We know the Lakers and Suns with Frank Vogel aren’t on that list.) That could push Westbrook to pursue other teams, but it is unclear who the Clippers would be bidding against for his services. Trading for Paul while Westbrook is still available would be a way for the front office to get the player it wants in place while forcing Westbrook to potentially take the same deal, but for undoubtedly a different role. While Westbrook was seriously contemplating returning to the Clippers on that contract for slightly more than the veteran’s minimum, those sources said, that was before LA’s interest in Paul reached this degree. The biggest contract they can legally offer Westbrook (starting at 120 percent of the veteran’s minimum) would still be on the table. The Clippers would not be shutting the door on Westbrook even if they could acquire Paul, league sources not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic. We also discussed the limited options that the Clippers have with Russell Westbrook, the latest of the Clippers’ point guard roulette who became more of a necessity due to season-ending injuries suffered by Paul George and then Kawhi Leonard. Last week, The Athletic’s Danny Leroux and I discussed the possibility of Paul being acquired by the Clippers, either via trade or if he was waived. Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes was first to report LA’s interest in trading for Paul. The Clippers are evaluating what it would take to acquire Paul, who must first decide if he is open to staying in Washington. The Clippers are indeed interested in pursuing Paul, according to a league source who was granted anonymity because he’s not authorized to speak publicly about another team’s player. But the deal could expand, depending on Paul’s desire to join a contender. Washington’s new front office, led by former Clippers general manager Michael Winger, is paying for the no-trade clause in Beal’s contract. On Sunday, the Washington Wizards agreed to send shooting guard Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Paul, former Clipper Landry Shamet, several second-round picks and future pick swaps. So it is fitting that Williams announced his retirement on the same day that presented Paul a possible option to return to the Clippers.
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