Los Angeles Clippers

It's been a while since Patrick Beverley aired any grievances, so he used the latest episode of his podcast to rail against Paul George's passing ability.

On The Pat Bev Pod, Beverley called George "the worst" passer he has ever played with in the NBA.

Pat Bev flamed tf out of Paul George’s passing 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/uAZYsoXTQQ

— Emil (@emil_harb) June 11, 2024

Beverley and George were teammates for two seasons with the Clippers from 2019-20 to 2020-21.

George has had some solid assist numbers throughout his career, especially since arriving in Los Angeles, but it's never been his calling card. He's renowned for being one of the best two-way wings in the NBA.

During the 2020-21 season, Beverley was limited to just 37 games due to injuries. The Clippers did bring in Rajon Rondo at the trade deadline to give them a capable point guard, but he was in the final stages of his career at that point.

George and Kawhi Leonard took on the bulk of the facilitating duties for the offense. They both averaged 5.2 assists per game, which was a career high for George at the time. He surpassed it the following season with 5.7 per game when they didn't really have a true point guard and Leonard didn't play due to a torn ACL.

Even though George's passing numbers increased during those seasons out of necessity, it's not the first thing anyone will think of when building a game plan against him.

Beverley, who has spent the vast majority of his career playing point guard, isn't much of a facilitator either. His single-season career high in assists was 4.6 during the 2021-22 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Regardless of Beverley's feelings about George as a passer, the Clippers forward remains one of the better players in the NBA. He was named to the All-Star team this season for the ninth time in his 14-year career.

The 2020-21 Clippers team with George and Beverley advanced to the Western Conference Finals. It remains the only conference finals appearance in franchise history.

The NBA world honored late Los Angeles Lakers great Jerry West on Wednesday after the news of his death at 86 years old.

West was an NBA champion as both player and executive, a three-time Hall of Fame selection and the inspiration for the silhouette on the NBA logo.

Jerry West is a basketball icon.

◻️NBA champ as player
◻️Finals MVP despite team losing
◻️14x All-Star (every year)
◻️9 Finals appearances
◻️Highest series PPG (46.3)
◻️Scoring and assist title
◻️12x All-NBA
◻️5x All-Defense
◻️2x Exec of the Year
◻️8 rings as exec
◻️Helped build… pic.twitter.com/CyNK3A0wso

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 12, 2024

NBA legend Michael Jordan called West "a friend and a mentor" in his statement on West's death.

"I always wished I could have played against him as a competitor, but the more I came to know him, I wish I had been his teammate," Jordan wrote.

Michael Jordan on the passing of NBA Legend Jerry West: pic.twitter.com/iHmQS3oVrh

— Estee Portnoy (@esteep) June 12, 2024

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James paid tribute to West on X.

"Will truly miss our convos my dear friend," James wrote.

Will truly miss our convos my dear friend! My thoughts and prayers goes out to your wonderful family! Forever love Jerry! Rest in Paradise my guy! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🤎

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 12, 2024

My mentor, My friend! Hopefully I continue to make you proud! 🥲. You're already missed!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 12, 2024

NBA commissioner Adam Silver called West "a basketball genius and a defining figure in our league for more than 60 years."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding the passing of Jerry West. pic.twitter.com/8XspFQO3d0

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 12, 2024

West was also honored by USA Basketball for his role in leading Team USA to a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

USA Basketball mourns the loss of basketball icon Jerry West.

West won gold medals with the 1959 U.S. Pan American Games Team & the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team.

He went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 & again as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be… pic.twitter.com/hwBrcasPaE

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 12, 2024

Other members of the NBA community posted their own tributes in honor of the late NBA legend:

I met Jerry West for the first time in 1979 at the Forum where he introduced me to Bill Sharman, Chick Hearn, and then Laker owner Jack Kent Cooke. My father, agent and I negotiated over lunch then Jerry took me to the locker room to show me my Lakers jersey. I started to cry and… pic.twitter.com/o9xMDu50Wv

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 12, 2024

Rest in peace, dear Jerry. Thank you for everything you have done and given to this game. pic.twitter.com/aScTL7WqL1

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) June 12, 2024

May my all time first team shooting guard rest in peace knowing he paved the way for defining greatness on the hardwood, excellence in the front office and living life his way. Jerry is one of one and claims the right to be the logo forever. My condolences to his family.

Doc

— Julius Dr J Erving (@JuliusErving) June 12, 2024

Honoring the legendary Jerry West pic.twitter.com/vN9gzMPVMc

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 12, 2024

RIH Jerry West. Drafted me in the 2nd round and gave me a shot as a young player that wasn’t the better pg at the time. Always kept it a 💯 with me and I always knew where you were coming from. Prayers to the family!! Tough loss. 🙏🏾🙏🏾

— Nick Van Exel (@vanexel31) June 12, 2024

Whenever I had the opportunity to get some gems from “The Logo” I always took it. May he Rest in Peace 🕊️🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/te3LGV58um

— DWade (@DwyaneWade) June 12, 2024

On July 11, 1996, Jerry West traded Vlade Divac for Kobe Bryant.

On July 18, 1996, Jerry West signed Shaq as a free agent.

Perhaps the greatest week any sports executive has ever had.

— Paul Hembekides (Hembo) (@PaulHembo) June 12, 2024

Jerry West made the same Basketball Hall of Fame three different times. That’s how iconic he is.

— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) June 12, 2024

Jerry West lived a profound basketball and American life — iconic as a player, executive and looming figure in the history of the game. He was an MVP, a champion, a gold medalist, a dynasty-builder and literally the league’s logo. His loss leaves a massive void. pic.twitter.com/vE3fQc5XuE

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 12, 2024

West, who made his NBA debut as a player in 1960, led the Lakers to nine NBA Finals. He was named Finals MVP as part of a losing team in 1969 and helped Los Angeles to a title in 1972.

As an executive, he put together the "Showtime" Lakers teams that won five titles between 1980 and 1988. He then acquired Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in 1996 and was with the team for its 2000 championship.

West, who retired as the third player in NBA history to reach 25,000 career points, still ranks No. 25 on the NBA's all-time scoring list today.

Even though Chris Paul lived through the era being depicted on the new FX on Hulu series Clipped, he did check out the first episode when it dropped Tuesday.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Paul called the episode "kinda cringey" because someone is only offering one perspective of what happened. He also said some things being depicted on the show never actually happened.

"Me and my wife watched the first episode of that Clipped show and there was some things that never happened..

We lived it and we know what's real" ~ @CP3#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/aPhnT4XLzu

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 6, 2024

Paul specifically mentioned a scene where his wife is shown hanging out with former Clippers governor Donald Sterling's wife as one that didn't happen.

This isn't an uncommon complaint when real-life figures are depicted in a TV show, but the show isn't trying to be an exact recreation of everything that happened. License must be taken to tell a narrative story.

If a show like Clipped was presenting itself as a documentary, there would be a valid reason to criticize it for not showing events as they actually happened.

Paul did note he wasn't consulted or asked to participate in the production of the show.

The series revolves around former Clippers governor Donald Sterling and the fallout from his racist remarks that were recorded by his mistress, V. Stiviano, and later obtained by TMZ Sports in April 2014. The NBA subsequently banned Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million for his comments. Shelly Sterling, Donald's wife, was put in charge of negotiating a sale of the franchise.

The Clippers and Golden State Warriors were in the midst of a first-round playoff series when the Sterling tape was leaked. Head coach Doc Rivers led a team meeting afterward, where the topic of potentially boycotting Game 4 of the series briefly came up.

Even though the team went ahead with the game, players staged a silent protest by wearing their warm-up shirts inside out and later dumping them at center court.

The Clippers took off their shooting shirts and dumped them at center court. pic.twitter.com/Nod5QWsWJy

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 27, 2014

The official synopsis of the first episode, titled "White Party," says: "Doc fights chemistry problems created by Donald's favoritism and harassment. The fragile love triangle between Donald, Shelly and V. combusts when V. refuses to stay out of sight. Attendance is mandatory at the Labor Day white party."

Steve Ballmer's $2 billion purchase of the Clippers from the Sterling Family Trust was finalized in August 2014.

Paul spent six seasons with the Clippers from 2011-12 to 2016-17. He was a driving force behind the team making the playoffs in each of those six seasons after the franchise made the postseason a total of seven times in its first 41 years of existence.

While many believe the GOAT debate ends with Michael Jordan and LeBron James, Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden gives that title to another legend.

Harden was asked by Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype about his personal GOAT, and he bestowed the honor to the late Kobe Bryant.

"I mean, there was only one person who made me love, I mean fall in love with the game, and that's Kobe Bryant," Harden said. "Being from LA and being a Lakers fan watching him grow up and win several championships and his passion and love and what he did for the game of basketball, I think the world, you know, feels the same way, but that's why I started playing basketball. The skill set and things that I've learned, I kind of picked up on my own, but as far as falling in love with the game, it's definitely been Kobe."

Of course, the GOAT debate has evolved in recent years. Charlotte Hornets rookie forward Brandon Miller shocked many last year when he named Harden's teammate Paul George as his personal GOAT, but it illustrated how different stars can impact young players.

Harden reiterated that being a Los Angeles native created his affinity for Bryant.

"Yeah, I just grew up watching him and what he did for the city of LA basketball in general," he said "You know, I mean it's just for me; it's hit home, and yeah, definitely Kobe."

Harden watched Bryant help lead the Lakers to three straight NBA championships in the early 2000s. When he entered the league as the third overall pick in the 2009 draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden got the chance to compete against his idol as Bryant and the Lakers defeated the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs on his way to winning his fifth championship ring that season.

Harden and Bryant went on to continue battling when Harden moved on to the Houston Rockets and established himself as a No. 1 option. In total, Harden owns a 17-13 record in games against Bryant.

Harden is set to be a free agent this summer, so it remains to be seen if he will choose to stay with the Clippers and try to emulate Bryant by bringing a title to Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Clippers are on the verge of the pivotal offseason as they move into a new arena, and it sounds like they're motivated to retain two of their biggest stars.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers "are determined to keep Paul George and James Harden in free agency" ahead of an impending move to to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

George can choose to decline the $48.8 million player option on his deal and test free agency this summer. Harden played the 2023-24 season on the final year of his deal and made $35.7 million.

The Clippers acquired Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster trade in November. Many expected that pairing the former NBA MVP with George and Kawhi Leonard would vault Los Angeles into title contention, but the team dealt with inconsistencies throughout the year and fell in six games to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

The Clippers had the opportunity to offer a four-year, $221 million contract extension to George during the season, but Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported earlier this week that the Clippers "haven't offered George a dollar more than what they paid [Kawhi] Leonard: three years, $152.4 million."

By failing to extend George, Los Angeles is risking the possibility of losing a key part of its core. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Sunday that the Sixers' "desire to sign Paul George is well-known," so there will undoubtedly be some competition for the nine-time All-Star. Philadelphia can offer him a deal of up to $212 million over four years, so Los Angeles will need to increase its offer to retain him.

Tyronn Lue is sticking with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Los Angeles confirmed Wednesday that it had signed Lue to a long-term contract. The agreement was first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal, according to Wojnarowski, will make Lue one of the NBA's "highest-paid coaches."

Shams Charania and Law Murray of The Athletic reported the deal is for five years and "nearly" $70 million.

"This is where I want to be," Lue said in a team statement. "I've loved coaching this team for the past four years and I'm excited to head into a new era at Intuit Dome. I'm grateful to Steve, Lawrence and the entire organization for the opportunity. With our ownership, front office, roster, staff and arena, we have all the advantages we need to win in the present and the future, and I'm confident we will."

The agreement comes after he was previously mentioned as a possible candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers' head coaching vacancy.

Lue was the subject of more than a few offseason rumors a year ago, with the Phoenix Suns believed to be highly interested in luring him away from the Clippers before they hired Frank Vogel.

I've been dubious about some speculation around Tyronn Lue (read: Milwaukee), but within league circles Phoenix's interest in Lue has been talked about for days, never seeming to go away. Lue is obviously under contract with LAC, though potential extension talk has been quiet.

— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) May 14, 2023

Lue, for his part, said he wanted to return, and the Clippers publicly echoed a similar sentiment.

"Of course he's back," president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters in April 2023. "Ty is a terrific coach, and we're excited to have him as our coach."

B/R and TNT's Chris Haynes also reported in May 2023 that "Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is a huge fan of Lue and the two have a great relationship. They hold routine game-day meetings in Lue's office."

So while rumors swirled, it always seemed likely Lue would stick around.

In his first four seasons as the team's head coach, the 47-year-old led the Clippers to a 184-134 record and three playoff appearances, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in the 2020-21 season.

However, persistent injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George resulted in an L.A. team that has underachieved in the star duo's time together. This season, Lue was tasked with finding the right lineup balance for the Clippers after the team acquired James Harden in a trade, eventually settling on bringing Russell Westbrook off the bench.

That move rejuvenated the team, giving them the look of a serious contender. But the end result was still a first-round elimination against the Dallas Mavericks.

Lue was appointed to the post after Doc Rivers was fired following the 2019-20 season, ending his seven-year tenure. Lue worked for one year on Rivers' staff after being fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers six games into the 2018-19 campaign.

Lue spent parts of four seasons as Cleveland's head coach, leading the team to three NBA Finals and a 2015-16 NBA championship. He also spent parts of 11 seasons in the league as a journeyman point guard.

Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan might finally get his Southern California homecoming this summer.

HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported the Los Angeles Clippers could look to execute a sign-and-trade for DeRozan, who's due to be a free agent, if Paul George walks.

Scotto also reported, however, that "there's a belief around the league that DeRozan will ultimately re-sign with the Bulls, given the team's continued desire to compete, his role, and Chicago's willingness to pay him."

DeRozan is a native of Compton, California, who attended USC for his lone season of college ball. It looked like he might be returning home during the 2021 offseason, but the Los Angeles Lakers opted instead to acquire Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. He also spoke with Clippers officials that summer, but that was probably never a serious possibility because the team had limited salary cap space.

That the Clippers could pivot to the 34-year-old if they lose George is an indicator of how few options they realistically have in that scenario.

Los Angeles blew through its best trade assets to put the current roster together. It has few draft picks to sell, nor the kind of role players who's on-court value can make up the gap in a blockbuster swap.

Cap space is pretty much nonexistent too. Per Spotrac, the Clippers only have up to $32.8 million to spend, and that would require renouncing the cap hold of James Harden, making it all but impossible to maintain a Big Three of Harden, Kawhi Leonard and another star.

It's fair to wonder how much DeRozan would raise L.A.'s ceiling if he joined the roster largely as currently constructed. He's simply not as good as George, particularly when it comes to defense and spacing the floor.

In effect, the Clippers would be getting a small downgrade while having to send something of value to the Bulls in the process.

And this all assumes DeRozan even leaves Chicago, which is far from a foregone conclusion.

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported George and Los Angeles are at an impasse over his next contract, and having reservations about a max offer is understandable when injuries have been such a persistent problem for them.

The problem for the Clippers is that a future without George might be worse than overpaying him now.

Paul George has a player option on his contract for the 2024-25 season and could be one of the most sought-after free agents this summer if he declines it, but the Los Angeles Clippers have reportedly hesitated to give him a massive offer at this point.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported Monday that the Clippers "haven't offered George a dollar more than what they paid [Kawhi] Leonard: three years, $152.4 million." That is the case even though Los Angeles could offer him a four-year, $221 million deal.

If the Clippers don't increase their bid, that would give other teams the opportunity to land the nine-time All-Star.

O'Connor said the Philadelphia 76ers' "Plan A" for free agency is pursuing George. The 76ers can offer him a four-year, $212 million deal, which is more than Los Angeles is currently offering the swingman.

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer noted the 76ers' "desire to sign Paul George is well-known," so the Clippers could have some serious competition.

It is at least somewhat understandable why Los Angeles might be hesitant to give that kind of deal to someone who is 34 years old with a history of injury concerns. While George played 74 games this season, it was the first time he appeared in more than 56 games since the 2018-19 campaign.

That just so happened to be his last season with a team outside of the Clippers.

Leonard, who will turn 33 years old in June, also has quite the injury history and hasn't reached the 70-game mark in a season since he was with the San Antonio Spurs in 2016-17. Further committing to the Leonard and George duo for multiple years into the future at this stage of their careers may not be the best path forward to compete in the loaded Western Conference.

George is still excellent when healthy and averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from deep this past season.

That type of production would play in any lineup, and the Clippers surely want him back.

They just might not want him back enough to top an offer from the 76ers or others.

The Los Angeles Police Department is reportedly searching for three people who broke into Los Angeles Clippers big man Ivica Zubac's house on Wednesday.

According to TMZ Sports, Zubac was not home but the three people were spotted inside the house at approximately 7:30 p.m. Police arrived at the scene and took a burglary report, although it is not clear whether anything was taken.

TMZ noted this is the second time in a relatively short period that police were called to Zubac's home for similar instances.

Two people broke into the same house and stole Zubac's Rolex watch worth more than $20,000 in 2021. They fled the scene before authorities arrived at that time as well.

Zubac has been in the Los Angeles area throughout his NBA career.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected him with a second-round pick in the 2016 NBA draft and traded him to the Clippers during his third season in the league. He has been with the Clippers since that 2018-19 campaign.

The double-double threat averaged 11.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game this past season and helped lead Los Angeles to the playoffs, where it lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

Zubac is now set to enter the final season on his contract in 2024-25.

The Los Angeles Clippers could have a far different look at point guard next season.

With James Harden set to hit free agency and Russell Westbrook potentially opting out of a $4 million player option for the 2024-25 season, NBA reporter Marc Stein noted on Sunday that he was told the Clippers "should be added to the list of teams that could emerge as a suitor for potential free agent Chris Paul."

He also added veteran point guard Kyle Lowry to that list, noting that he "heard this week that Paul and Lowry, whose free agency is looming after finishing last season in Philadelphia, are veteran guards said to interest the Clippers... with a further variable to factor in stemming from Westbrook's still-to-be determined status."

Few teams will be more fascinating to monitor this offseason than the Clippers, who could also lose Paul George in free agency if they don't pony up the cash.

At least publicly, however, the Clippers have maintained that they hope to retain both George and Harden.

"We'd like to be able to bring back and retain Paul and James," president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters in early May. "We're hopeful we can, but also understand and respect the fact that they're free agents. Paul has a decision with his option. James will be an unrestricted free agent, so our intent is to bring him back, but also realize that they're elite players and they'll have choices."

Keeping George may require the Clippers to exceed the three-year, $150-million extension Kawhi Leonard signed with the team in January. The team can offer him up to a four-year, $221 million deal, though if the Clippers aren't willing to do a fourth year on his contract, George could seek that length of a deal on the open market.

Imagine PG in Philly 🤯

How far would this team go?

(via @KevinOConnorNBA) pic.twitter.com/3Bf84rbpx5

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2024

Discussions r out there about the possibility of Paul George moving from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Clippers are reportedly not willing to offer George a contract extension more significant than the three-year, $152.3 million deal they gave to Kawhi…

— Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) May 27, 2024

If the Clippers do break the bank for George, however, Harden may not get the type of deal he seeks to remain in Los Angeles. And that could open up the door for a cheaper option like CP3 or Lowry.

Paul, 39, averaged just 9.2 points and 6.8 assists per game for the Golden State Warriors this past season, largely in a backup role. He appeared in 58 total games and remains a solid playmaker but one who is well past his prime. It's hard to know how much longer he'll be able to withstand the rigors of the long and physically demanding NBA season.

Lowry, 38, offers the same question marks, averaging 8.1 points and 4.2 assists in 60 games last season between the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers.

If the Clippers lose Harden but are able to retain Westbrook, however, a player like Paul or Lowry wouldn't be required to start, allowing the team to managed their minutes more carefully.

The Clippers are readying for a summer of permutations. It's possible the team will be able to run it back, but it wouldn't be surprising if L.A. had a new look next season.