PLAYA VISTA, Calif. — LA Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are “fully healthy” getting into later year’s coaching camp in Hawaii, consistent with Lawrence Frank, the workforce’s president of basketball operations.

Leonard performed within the first two video games of the Clippers’ first-round playoff loss to the Phoenix Suns prior to being sidelined with a torn proper meniscus. He underwent a cleanup process at the meniscus on June 6. George is absolutely recovered from a proper knee sprain that saved him out of the primary around.

“Both are fully healthy,” Frank mentioned on the workforce facility on Wednesday. “I think both have had extremely productive offseasons, and obviously our two best players are totally invested in doing special things for the Clippers. They show it with their actions, so I think we’re really excited that they’re both fully healthy and will be full participants in camp.”

Frank additionally mentioned there were discussions with the 2 Clippers’ franchise avid gamers regarding pledge extensions. Each stars, who grew up similar Los Angeles and sought after to play games right here, every have $48-million participant choices for the 2024-25 season and are eligible to signal four-year extensions importance as much as $223 million every consistent with ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

“We’re still trying to maximize Kawhi and PG’s window and take advantage of it,” Frank mentioned. “We’ve had consistent ongoing conversations with both of them [since they were extension eligible] and their representatives, and at the appropriate time we’re hopeful that they remain Clippers.”

Frank added: “Hopefully we’ve created an environment where not only guys want to come, they want to stay. And we have a pretty good track record of being able to keep guys. So it will be a process and we’ll just be candid with each other. But we’re hopeful that we can continue to build around those guys and the remain Clippers.”

The Clippers are getting into a pivotal season wherein they’ve a lot to end up. The Leonard-George life is getting into its 5th season, however the two stars have in large part been not able to stick wholesome in combination. The Clippers had their stars in combination for simplest 38 video games utmost season as a result of accidents. When they’re wholesome, LA has been a success. Of their 4 seasons in combination thus far, Leonard and George have performed in a complete of 142 regular-season and postseason video games mixed with the Clippers going 96-46. The Clippers made it to the Western Convention finals in 2021, however Leonard tore his ACL right through the second one around that postseason.

The Clippers extremely price head mentor Ty Lue, who has two years too much on his pledge. However Lue didn’t obtain a fresh do business in, and Leonard and George haven’t begun to signal extensions. Day Frank mentioned “we all have something to prove,” he insists that the deficit of fresh do business in for Leonard, George and Lue isn’t “a warning shot” getting into the season.

“In terms of with T-Lue, he has two years [on his deal],” Frank mentioned. “We love T-Lue, we want T-Lue to be coach here for a long time. He’s one of the elite coaches in this league and there’s always a timing for things like that.

“PG and Kawhi, now we have very, very candid conversations in the case of the purpose is to book them as Clippers. So it’s now not a ultimatum shot. However I believe all people, me incorporated, you’re feeling an incredible quantity of accountability and you’re taking possession in your piece of the pie, of ways we every can do higher.”

The Clippers have been linked to the Sixers concerning a possible trade for James Harden this summer, but sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Aug. 12 that no traction on a deal materialized before the Sixers ended trade talks. Harden’s preference is to join the Clippers.

Frank was asked if the Clippers are in a wait-and-see mode for the possibility of improving the team via trade.

“I’d solution it this manner — one, we adore our team,” Frank said. “You’re at all times in search of techniques to recuperate, each for my part, as a workforce. … From our point of view, we’ll at all times be competitive looking for techniques to beef up the workforce.

“The timelines are the timelines. I like our group, our approach. But we will always look for ways to get better.”

A lot of the Clippers’ good fortune this season will hinge on their fitness. But even so either one of his stars being wholesome in the beginning of camp, Frank mentioned that Leonard desires to play games and can “attack everything” when wholesome. Frank used to be requested how the NBA’s fresh participant participation coverage, which states that groups will have to safeguard deny a couple of superstar participant is unavailable for a similar recreation, will affect how the Clippers and Leonard way back-to-back video games.

The workforce used to be wary with Leonard getting into utmost season nearest he overlooked all the earlier 12 months as a result of an ACL trauma. However he next skilled stiffness in his surgically repaired knee, which price him 12 video games. He after suffered a sprained proper ankle that price him six extra video games early within the season.

“Kawhi missed 21 of the first 26 [games],” Frank mentioned. “If Kawhi doesn’t have the injury, he’s playing 65, 68 games [last season]. So it wasn’t a case of, ‘Hey, we’re just resting him — he’s coming off an ACL.'”-

Frank cited Denver Nuggets shield Jamal Murray, who performed 4 back-to-backs utmost season when he made his comeback from an ACL trauma.

“So in terms of this situation, let’s go through training camp and then we’ll sit down [and figure Leonard’s plan for this season]. But Kawhi wants to play. When he’s healthy, he always does play and we’re just hoping that he has good fortune, he’s healthy and we’re optimistic he will be.”