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Lawrence Frank wants to get Clippers back to ‘contender status’

April 18, 2026

INGLEWOOD — With the pain of another early end to the season still simmering and the disappointment of their Play-In loss fresh, Clippers president of operations Lawrence Frank discussed what’s next for the franchise.

And from his seat at the podium on Friday, the view for the Clippers next season and beyond was optimistic with draft capital, emerging young players and significant salary cap space.

“I think we do have great hope and optimism with our future,” Frank said.

But it’s going to take work to build a bridge that will take them from competitive to contender, strategic moves that would ensure perennial postseason appearances and give Kawhi Leonard a reason to stay.

The Clippers failed to make the playoffs this season for the first time in four years, losing to the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In Tournament on Wednesday night after holding a 13-point lead with 10 minutes left. The deflating defeat capped a season that saw them climb out of a 6-21 start to finish above .500 (42-40) while navigating a failed reunion with Chris Paul and an ongoing NBA investigation into possible salary cap circumvention.

“We’re in the competitive bucket, that’s what we are,” Frank said. “And we will work extremely hard to continue to take those steps.”

Frank said the team could take pride in overcoming its dreadful start to come within a few victories of landing a higher seed that would have assured them a playoff spot, and posting its league-best 15th consecutive winning season.

“The pride is digging out of a 6-21 hole where it easily could have been ‘one of those years’ and yet players, coaches, staff, everyone kept fighting … and between the fight, the resilience, the grit, demonstrated it to ultimately end up with a winning season.”

Getting over that bridge will depend, in large part, on what Leonard decides to do. Does the seven-time All-Star want to be a part of a rebuild or join an already established contender like former teammate James Harden did at the trade deadline? The veteran point guard asked for a trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Leonard, who will turn 35 in June, is entering the final year of a three-year $149.5 million contract extension that he signed in January 2024. He is slated to earn $50.3 million next season, and the Clippers can extend his contract for two additional seasons (with a maximum offer of $126.1 million) once the NBA Finals end.

Following their Play-In loss, Leonard was non-committal about his future, but Frank was adamant about the team’s intentions.

“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Frank said. “We obviously showed as an organization that we want to continue and we are driven to win. So, at the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi, and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan. And if our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”

If Leonard bolts, the Clippers will look to rebuild around young point guard Darius Garland, who came to the team in the Harden trade. Garland, 23, missed their first month after his arrival because of toe issues, missing key practice and team bonding time.

The other players the Clippers are looking to retain are veteran guard Kris Dunn, who is eligible to sign up to a four-year, $92.8 million extension, and guard Bennedict Mathurin, a restricted free agent who was acquired from the Indiana Pacers in the Ivica Zubac trade. Mathurin is expected to receive a qualifying offer from the team, which has his “Bird Rights.”

Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller, part of the team’s youth movement, are almost assured to have their options picked up, as is forward Derrick Jones Jr., who is entering the final year of a three-year contract he signed in 2024.

The Clippers also have “Bird Rights” on forward John Collins, who exercised his player option heading into this season and is now an unrestricted free agent. Veteran guard Bradley Beal has a player option for $5.6 million for next season that he is expected to exercise.

To fill in whatever gaps might open, Frank said they have several options. They could operate at cap space, use their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception or find young talent in the draft.

The Clippers will find out in the NBA Draft Lottery on May 10 how it affects one of the draft picks they get from the Pacers (part of the Zubac-Mathurin trade). The Clippers would have the No. 5 or No. 6 pick in this year’s draft if the Pacers’ first-rounder falls outside of the top four. There is a 27.8% and 20.1% chance that could happen, respectively.

It’s that, or trade for another star player.

“Either way, we’re going to get the team better,” Frank said. “We’ll add at least one significant piece to the roster. There are so many different potential options, some within our control, some that aren’t, but it’s our job to literally turn over every stone, every rock to figure out how we can get this team back to contender status.”

Orange County Register

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Lawrence Frank wants to get Clippers back to ‘contender status’

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