Clippers Reshape Roster at Deadline; Investigation Into Leonard Deal Still Active
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The Los Angeles Clippers completed a sweeping roster overhaul before the NBA trade deadline, a series of moves president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank described as “difficult but necessary.”
In the biggest swap, 34-year-old guard James Harden was sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers for 24-year-old two-time All-Star Darius Garland. Starting center Ivica Zubac and forward Kobe Brown went to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for guard Bennedict Mathurin, center Isaiah Jackson, two first-round draft picks and one second-rounder. The club also moved veteran guard Chris Paul, who had been removed from the rotation, to the Toronto Raptors.
“As hard as these moves are, we are extremely excited about where we’re going,” Frank told reporters, adding that the organization intends to “win now” while getting younger. The Clippers had climbed into a play-in position this winter, yet Frank felt the previous roster had a limited ceiling. “We were the oldest team in the NBA. We were in ninth place despite turning it around,” he said. “We had to make some really, really hard and difficult decisions.”
Ongoing League Probe
Frank stressed that an NBA investigation into a potential salary-cap violation involving Kawhi Leonard did not influence the flurry of trades. The league has been reviewing a report that the Clippers may have skirted cap rules through a $28 million endorsement agreement between Leonard and the now-bankrupt California firm Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC. “We haven’t learned anything more than we knew in September,” Frank said. “We feel we’re on the right side of this. It really doesn’t impact anything we do on a daily basis.”
Leonard’s Reaction
According to Frank, Leonard supported the deadline strategy. “Kawhi’s a very bright guy and understands that to be sustainable you have to make some really hard decisions,” he noted. Frank said the franchise will continue to work with Leonard on roster building through free agency, trades and the draft.
Zubac Departure “Hardest Move”
Frank called trading the 26-year-old Zubac the toughest decision of the week. He informed the center that another team was “extremely aggressive” in pursuing him and admitted he had hoped the suitor would not meet Los Angeles’ asking price. After the deal was finalized, Zubac visited the team’s practice facility to say goodbye to teammates, coaches and staff. “There were a lot of tears,” Frank said. “We all know what Zu means to us.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
