According to ESPN personality Adrian Wojnarowski (Woj), Los Angeles
speedboat
The team is determined to keep two of its core players, James
Harden or Haden (name)
and Paul
George (name)
Paul George currently holds a player option worth $48.79 million. In the regular season, George contributed 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. His consistent output on the offensive end and stellar play on the defensive end have made him an integral part of the team. The Clippers are looking to ensure that George stays with the team through a contract extension or renegotiation to lead the team to greater success in the coming seasons.
James Harden is currently an unrestricted free agent. In the regular season, Harden averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Although Harden's numbers are down this season, he is still the top point guard and organizer in the league. The Clippers hope that by extending Harden's contract, they can utilize his organizational skills and offensive threat to improve the team's overall competitiveness.
Clippers management's determination to keep Harden and George shows the team's ambition for the coming seasons. By extending the contracts of these two core players, the Clippers hope to remain competitive in the upcoming season and make a run at the championship. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and management have made it clear that they are willing to invest more resources in team building to ensure that the team remains strong in the Western Conference.
core player
: The extensions for George and Harden will ensure that the Clippers have top players on both offense and defense, bolstering the team's overall strength.
Depth of lineup
: The Clippers also need to build a roster with more depth and flexibility around these two core players, including bringing in experienced role players and young, promising rookies.
Tactical adjustments
: Head coach Tyronn Lue will continue to tweak his team's tactics to take full advantage of Harden and George and elevate his team's performance in key games.
