Clippers' Lawrence Frank Extension Signals Plans for Trade Deadline & Beyond

The Los Angeles Clippers make their intentions clear ahead of trade deadline with the Lawrence Frank extension.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers and their lead decision-maker, Lawrence Frank, agreed to a multi-year contract extension, per Joe Vardon and Sam Amick of The Athletic. The new deal is expected to be a four-year deal for the president of basketball operations, who has been in charge since 2017.

This doesn't come as a surprise. There were reports of a looming extension back in December, when the Clippers stumbled out of the gate. Now that LA has righted the ship by winning 16 of its last 19 games, an extension seemed inevitable.

More importantly for Clippers fans, however, it signals that the organization will stay the course for the next few years. The calls for selling around the trade deadline to kickstart a rebuild have died down, and under Frank's leadership, the Clippers will continue to build around James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, with Ty Lue as the head coach.

Clippers Are Not Pivoting to a Rebuild Any Time Soon

Owner Steve Ballmer, GM Lawrence Frank, and head coach Ty Lue have been in perfect lockstep over the years. Even when things were going poorly to start this season, their relationship didn't falter. They called each other their "partners", Lue saying that he and Frank always "stay locked in" and are "hand in hand." Instead of blaming the front office for roster construction, Lue took responsibility and said that they are always on the same page about the players they want to bring in.

Therefore, it's safe to assume that Lue is not going anywhere as long as Frank is there. Plus, Lue signed an extension in May 2024 that will keep him in LA through the 2028-29 season.

The same can be said about Kawhi's future in LA. Since he signed with the team as a free agent in 2019, Leonard has had a special relationship with the organization. The Clippers have gone above and beyond to appease the superstar forward, tying their fate to Leonard's. So far, that has only produced one Conference Finals appearance, but the Clippers are seemingly continuing the chase.

It's not like the Clippers have much of a choice. They are bereft of young talent and future assets. As great as Harden and Leonard have been this season, they are challenging players to trade. They wouldn't bring a massive haul back due to concerns about their ages, contracts, and injury history. Now that the Clippers are back in the playoff race, the Harden-Leonard partnership will continue for the foreseeable future.

This teases a quiet trade deadline for the Clippers. A big overhaul is not needed, meaning Ivica Zubac isn't going anywhere. Chris Paul and Kobe Brown will likely head elsewhere, and if the Clippers can turn Bogdan Bogdanovic's expiring contract into a difference-maker without giving up significant draft capital, they will also pursue that. Otherwise, expect more of the same from the Clippers in the Frank-Lue-Leonard era.