In recent years, the Los Angeles Clippers have struggled to build a team that can contend for a championship. However, under the leadership of the team's core players Leonard and George, the Clippers did not achieve the desired record in the playoffs. Faced with the team's predicament, Clippers management needs to make a choice between re-signing George and trading Durant. This article will analyze the Clippers' predicament and the implications of both options.
First, let's take a look at the Clippers' predicament. Despite having two top players, Kawhi Leonard and George, the Clippers have never been able to go far in the playoffs. This is mainly due to the fact that the team is relatively weak in other positions and cannot give enough support to the core players. In addition, the Clippers' lack of tactical execution in key moments led to the team losing games in key moments. Therefore, the Clippers need to make adjustments in terms of player configuration and tactics to improve the overall strength of the team.
Against this backdrop, the Clippers are faced with two options: one is to re-sign George, and the other is to trade Durant. First of all, re-signing George means that the team will continue to build around the two core players of Leonard and George. George has been outstanding in recent seasons, averaging over 25 points per game while possessing excellent defensive prowess. Signing George to a new contract would help make the team more competitive, but at the same time, the Clippers will need to add to other positions to improve the team's overall strength.
Second, trading Durant would mean that the Clippers will have a new core roster. As the league's top scorer, Durant has extremely high offensive efficiency and excellent rebounding ability. If the Clippers can successfully trade for Durant, the overall strength of the team will be significantly improved. However, trading Durant won't be easy, and the Clippers will have to pay a huge price, including sending multiple quality players and draft picks. In addition, Durant's high-salary contract will also put pressure on the team's salary structure.
As things stand, the Clippers are more inclined to re-sign George. First of all, George has been very competitive in recent seasons. Renewing George's contract will help improve the team's combat effectiveness and make the Clippers more competitive in the playoffs. Secondly, the cooperation between George and Leonard has proven to have a certain power, and the tacit understanding between the two has gradually formed. On top of that, the Clippers only need to make adjustments in terms of role players and tactics to improve the team's overall strength.
However, renewing George's contract is not without risk. If the Clippers are unable to make a breakthrough in the playoffs after re-signing George, the future of the team will become very difficult. In that case, the Clippers may need to reconsider their options to trade Durant.
In short, the Clippers face a dilemma between renewing George and trading Durant. As things stand, a contract extension for George is more feasible, but the team needs to be strengthened in other positions. However, if the Clippers are unable to make a playoff breakthrough after re-signing George, trading Durant may be the team's only option. When making decisions, Clippers management needs to fully consider the current situation and future direction of the team to ensure that the team can gain a foothold in the competitive NBA market.