Had the Clippers kept all three stars, they felt the CBA would’ve put a stranglehold on their ability to add players who could do some of the necessary lifting around the trio, especially as Leonard and George aged. Being a second apron team could also cost the Clippers a first-round pick, something they need for any potential trade for a star in the future. “Once your pick becomes frozen, [and] if you’re in the second apron for multiple years, you’re really f—ed,” Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, told ESPN. “You’re in a situation where you never have cap space and you never have your midlevel exception and you’re just strictly dealing with minimums and trades. Our goal is we want to be a sustainable contender.” -via ESPN / November 6, 2024
