Los Angeles Clippers fans are rarely relaxed, but morale is as high as it has arguably ever been. With multiple teams underachieving and the young and postseason-unproven Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves leading the West, first place is in LA's grasp.
Although an NBA Finals appearance is still the only acceptable goal for a franchise fully invested in the present, there is a pressing matter on the agenda that concerns the future of the Clippers. The contract status of Paul George.
Kawhi Leonard signed a colossal three-year, $152.3 million extension on Jan. 10, so there is the expectation the organization will now move to lock up George and keep the roster's core intact. Well, there is not much progress being made at the moment.
“Paul didn’t make it sound like they were super close to getting a deal done for him, although he did say he was optimistic and wanted to remain with the Clippers, he also didn’t make it sound like they were kind of close,” ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk said on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective.
Is there a sense of urgency for Clippers, Paul George?
Ongoing contract negotiations, especially those that are far apart, always risk the possibility of dragging into the playoffs. The Clippers cannot have their focus obstructed. They must be in sync if they are going to fulfill their potential and realistically contend for a title. There are no hints of malice between the two sides, though, as George clearly enjoys being with the franchise.
Windhorst agrees with Youngmisuk's assessment of the situation but also believes the current environment is conducive to reaching common ground at some point.
“No, obviously they’re not close because it’s been weeks and there's been no deal,” he said. “I do think there has been intent on both sides to find a deal but there’s going to be some negotiation here, you know there was obviously negotiation with Kawhi.”
It remains to be seen if Los Angeles can get pen to paper in the coming weeks or if management prefers to see how the rest of the season plays out. Though, the commitment to Kawhi Leonard sends a strong message that this is the group owner Steve Ballmer wants to usher in the Intuit Dome Era with in the years to come.
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