Clippers’ Lawrence Frank optimistic ‘something special’ brewing next season

PLAYA VISTA — The mission at Honey Training Center is as straightforward as it is bold: Go where no Clippers team has before.

But how?

Run it back? Or tinker and tweak?

Likely the latter.

“We’re going to have to look at areas of improvement,” Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, said during an hour-long chat with reporters on Wednesday. “We want to make sure that we maximize our opportunities and be able to do something that’s never been done in the history of this organization.”

The Clippers have been swinging in earnest for the fences since the 2019-20 season, when they added All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

But since then, the team has gotten only as far as the Western Conference finals last season – which is, of course, further than any Clippers team before.

Why no further? Blame injuries, call it a curse, chalk it up to costly moments of on-court mismanagement or throw a dart at any of a myriad of other factors.

That’s why Frank, a cup of coffee beside him on the dais normally reserved for Coach Tyronn Lue and Clippers players, acknowledged that the past three seasons have reinforced “how fragile the difference between winning and losing is.”

The Clippers (42-40) missed the playoffs this injury-plagued season after failing to win either of their play-in tournament games, leaving members of the organization watching the postseason go on without them for just the second time in 11 years – and doing it with “a degree of emptiness and envy, but also fuel for a great offseason,” Frank said.

Frank anticipates the Clippers will be more fortunate with their stars’ health next season after Leonard missed the entire season and George missed 52 games, most of them with a torn elbow ligament.

“I really do have good faith that we’re going to get great health,” said Frank, who also noted that George, who also missed the team’s season-ending play-in loss to New Orleans on Friday in COVID-19 health and safety protocols, “will be fine.”

Otherwise, Frank avoided estimating when Leonard might return to action. The two-time NBA Finals MVP from Moreno Valley missed all 84 games his team played while recovering from surgery on July 13, 2021.

“I’m not going to get into timetables,” Frank said. “What is it, middle of April? He’s going to continue to do everything that he has been doing, and we’re encouraged by the progress he’s making.”

So, about that all-important complementary talent.

Before free agency begins, the Clippers have $160 million in salary, a tax bill of $17.9 million and, currently, 11 players set to be on the roster for next season.

Robert Covington and Isaiah Hartenstein are free agents, Nicolas Batum is weighing a $3.3 million player option and the Clippers are weighing Ivica Zubac’s $7.5 million team option (and potential four-year, $61 million contract extension). The team also has until June 29 to tender Amir Coffey ($1.9 million) and Jay Scrubb ($1.8 million) one-year qualifying offers.

The Clippers won’t have a first-round pick in June’s draft (they’ve got No. 43). The other tools in their box: A $6.4 million tax midlevel exception, trade exceptions of $9.7 and $8.3 million and seven second-round picks over the next seven years.

Also, maybe, there are Marcus Morris Sr. and Luke Kennard’s respective $16 million and $14 million contracts – potentially attractive bait to a would-be trade partner, if the Clippers think a swap will help them rebound better or that they need to incorporate another proven “play initiator” (read: point guard).

The Clippers also have Covington’s Bird rights, which will allow them to exceed the salary cap (and tax) to re-sign the forward who arrived at the trade deadline and finished the season ranked in the top 10 in deflections and as the only player to record 90 blocked shots and steals.

Frank made it sound as though bringing back the 34-year-old Covington – who was on an expiring four-year, $47 million deal – is high among the Clippers’ goals: “RoCo was very, very good for us. I’m excited to hear that he likes it here. We look forward and we’d like to be able to keep him here.”

Frank also spoke highly of Hartenstein, whose Bird rights they don’t have. After the Clippers plied the backup center away from Portland and Golden State and signed the 23-year-old to a non-guaranteed training camp deal, the 7-foot southpaw managed to exceed their expectations.

“We actually recruited Isaiah … we put a lot of effort into it,” said Frank, listing his attributes, including his dependable “little floater,” his facilitating, his chemistry with teammates and his rim protection. “Now, did we think he was going to be able to deliver at this high a level? No.”

It’s all tough to predict, after all.

“There is an element of good fortune,” Frank said. “Life changes quick … we’re going to have to earn our way. We’re going to have to work extremely hard. We’re going to have to look at areas of improvement …

“We’ve had some achievements, we’ve had some disappointments, we’ve had some adversity. All that is going to help us going forward into next year, to do something special for our fans.”