After a hard-fought win over the Warriors on the road, the Clippers played their final regular-season game before the All-Star weekend and finished third in the West. On the whole, the Clippers' result is definitely acceptable to everyone, and they are in the ranks of the first championship team in the West. If you look at it from the period when the Clippers experienced a six-game losing streak, no one would dare to believe the current results, because most people thought at that time that the Clippers were not far from disintegration. Obviously, whether it is from the perspective of Clippers management or at the fan level, the performance of the Clippers players is absolutely amazing. Rejection 1400 million, goodbye Clippers, Harden can't win the championship without you, but you can't get the top salary here.
Everything, it seems, is fine with the Clippers. However, the Clippers have a number of hidden dangers for their future championship goals and championship window. The first is the injury problem that everyone knows, Leonard's absence, a wake-up call to the Clippers, in the final sprint, in fact, the first place in the West is not so important to the Clippers, compared to the health of the core players, this is not worth mentioning, protecting the health of the players, this is something that the Clippers coaching staff and medical team need to work together. In addition, there is the stability of the core lineup. Leonard has set an example by taking a pay cut to renew the Clippers' contract, Harden's contract extension, according to the rules, needs to wait until the offseason to negotiate, and the basic problem is not big, and George has become the person who has the most headache for the Clippers and can't figure it out.
Aside from the rumors, the only thing we know now is that George didn't reach a contract extension with the Clippers. Although at the time of Leonard's contract extension, George claimed that he was optimistic about his long-term stay with the Clippers and believed that he and the team could reach a contract extension agreement soon, and some reports also said that the Clippers had full confidence in keeping George. However, more than a month has passed since George spoke out, and at the same time, the contract renewal negotiations between the Clippers and George began, and the two sides not only did not reach a contract extension, but the contract renewal negotiations were put on hold. Basically, fans also know in their hearts that the Clippers and George have not been able to agree on the details of the contract extension, and it looks like they will not be able to agree in the short term.
It was previously reported that the Clippers offered George a 3-year 1The $400 million renewal contract is justified from a third-party perspective. Because Leonard was 3 years 15.2 billion, George must be lower than Leonard, whether it is the stability of the offensive end, the ability to attack, or the comprehensiveness of the defensive end, the degree of toughness, Leonard is the level of a superstar, George did not reach the same level as Leonard, the Clippers offered this contract with an average annual salary of about $47 million, in the eyes of most people, the benchmark George, even a little inflated. But there is no way, now it is the player market, premium contracts are flying all over the sky, from the player's point of view, as long as they have a market, whether it is a premium or not, it is reasonable for them to strive for a high salary.
The teams that have been exposed to George's interest alone include the 76ers, Pacers, etc., and they all seem to be willing to provide George with a sufficiently aggressive **. A very realistic thing, as a "part-time worker", when you know that there are many other companies out there waiting to open ** for you, will you be in a hurry to renew the contract with your old employer? George must have wanted to stay with the Clippers first, but it's no secret that he wants to get more money, after all, for the 33-year-old George, the next contract is likely to be the last big contract of his career.
From an emotional point of view, George should be sacrificed, because the Clippers have done their best for him. After the rematch in the park, George was in a state of three games, and the Clippers still offered George a 4-year 1The $900 million contract extension with a maximum salary is already a premium contract, and from the perspective of fans, it is time for George to repay the Clippers. But players are realistic, especially for a rational player like George, who wants to get as much money as he gets his chances, because at least he has a market for it right now. That's where George gets a headache, he makes the Clippers love and hate.
To compete for a championship, the Clippers need George, and even if it's an unstable George, they do. But the Clippers can't give George a maximum salary, Ballmer is rich, but he is not stupid, on George and Leonard, he has thrown enough money, and the Clippers' expenses have been the second in the league over the years, second only to the Warriors. The Warriors have made a difference, formed a dynasty, and the Clippers have nothing. If Ballmer really threw money around, Leonard would not have needed to take a pay cut, and it can be seen that Ballmer is also rational. In the eyes of fans, George needs a salary cut, and he needs a much larger salary cut than Leonard, but after the Clippers offered him a contract that was worth more than George himself, he was still unwilling to accept it, which made the Clippers very uncomfortable.