Los Angeles Clippers

Johnny Wilkes filed a lawsuit against Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West, saying he was instrumental in helping the Clippers sign Kawhi Leonard in 2019.

TMZ Sports obtained the $2.5 million lawsuit in which Wilkes claims he and West came to an agreement whereby Wilkes would provide the Clippers with information to lure Leonard to Los Angeles. Wilkes says he has a close relationship with Leonard and Kawhi's uncle, Dennis Robertson.

According to Wilkes, he was the person who told the Clippers they should pursue Paul George to pair with Leonard. 

"This information was vital, because it was the exact information Kawhi Leonard wanted to hear at the time in order to effectuate his signing with the Clippers," the lawsuit says.

Wilkes claims West guaranteed him payment on several occasions, including at a dinner following Leonard's signing with the team. 

Neither the Clippers nor West have commented on the lawsuit.

If Wilkes' claims are found to be accurate, the Clippers could face significant ramifications under NBA league rules. Leonard's signing would be viewed as a violation of the league's collective bargaining agreement, and the Clippers would be subject to punishment for tampering. 

It's possible the league could look to void Leonard's deal with the Clippers outright, similar to Joe Smith and the Minnesota Timberwolves—the most famous contractual circumvention of the league's CBA.

However, the burden of proof will be on Wilkes to prove his lawsuit has merit. 

The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly did their "due diligence" by seeking out trade offers for Paul George before signing him to a four-year, $176.3 million contract extension Thursday.

Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer reported Friday the Clippers came away feeling George could have received the "same contract elsewhere" and decided to keep him for the long haul.

Although the lucrative deal raised some eyebrows around the NBA, multiple sources within the L.A. front office told The Ringer the timing was to ensure the team made it clear to Kawhi Leonard, who's eligible for his own extension next offseason, it was dedicated to chasing a title with the star duo.

George made it clear before agreeing to the new deal he wanted to stay with the franchise.

"I want to retire a Clipper," he told reporters last week. "This is where my heart is and I'm happy."

After signing, the 30-year-old California native said he was motivated to reward L.A. for its faith in him.

"I owe them a trophy," George said. "That's what I owe this organization."

The six-time All-Star is one of the NBA's premier two-way players, and he enjoyed a strong regular season during his first year with the Clippers. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.3 threes and 1.4 steals across 48 games after missing the start of the campaign with a shoulder injury.

He drew criticism for his lackluster offensive play in the playoffs, however, as he shot just 39.8 percent from the field as L.A., the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, blew a 3-1 series lead in the second round to get eliminated by the Denver Nuggets.

The shocking exit led to an offseason shakeup that included the departures of head coach Doc Rivers, Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell and multiple role players.

Los Angeles promoted Tyronn Lue, who guided the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA title, to replace Rivers. It also brought in several players, including Serge Ibaka, Luke Kennard and Nicolas Batum, to help revitalize the roster around Leonard and George.

The Clippers should once again be among the league's top title contenders when the postseason arrives, but how they fare in the playoffs will be the only thing that matters in the end.

L.A. opens the regular season Dec. 22 against the rival and reigning champion Lakers.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers gave fans a glimpse at some of the issues the Los Angeles Clippers played through last season before a failed postseason run cost him his job. 

Speaking with ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth, Rivers explained there was tension in the locker room due to some of the team's offseason acquisitions heading into the 2019-20 campaign.  

"The guys that were there the year before," Rivers said. "Honestly didn’t accept at least one of the new guys."

There were only two main additions to the Clippers ahead of last season: Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.

That Clippers team already has a spot in NBA lore among failed experiments. If blowing a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets weren't enough, the amount of turnover and trash talk that has come out in the 60 days since the season ended have revealed more questions than answers. 

Tyronn Lue replaced Rivers. Montrezl Harrell left for the Los Angeles Lakers and JaMychal Green bolted to the Nuggets. Elsewhere, George gave an interview in which he admitted the Clippers never adjusted their approach in the postseason once they built their lead on Denver. 

"During that whole process we never worked on adjustments," George told All The Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. "We never worked on what to do differently. We're just literally having the same s--t happen over and over again."

Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported that tone set by George and Leonard is what fostered the sense of complacency. According to Buha, the two stars reportedly had control over the Clippers' travel and practice schedules as well as managing their own playing time. 

Rivers could tell that setup wasn't working with the players he'd already been coaching in Los Angeles since joining the franchise in 2013. 

Now in Philadelphia, he's determined not to let a situation like the Clippers' happen again.

"For us this year, we're going to have to accept everybody on the team," Rivers said. "Play with everybody on the team. We have to do a lot of different stuff and be a better team this year."

When Paul George made the decision to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder in July 2018, Carmelo Anthony's presence was a key factor.

On the All The Smoke podcast, George explained that he was considering going to Los Angeles at the time, but "I wanna see this all the way through" and signed the extension to play alongside Anthony and Russell Westbrook. 

The Thunder got Anthony in a trade with the New York Knicks on Sept. 25, 2017. He got to play with George and Westbrook for a full season, but the results were often mixed for Anthony. The 10-time All-Star averaged 16.2 points per game on a career-low 40.4 percent shooting. 

Even though George had long-been connected to Los Angeles—specifically, the Lakers—when he became eligible for free agency after the 2017-18 season, the Fresno State alum surprised many by agreeing to a four-year extension to remain with Oklahoma City. 

Anthony wound up being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in July 2018, ending his one-year tenure with the Thunder. 

George didn't get his wish to run things back with Anthony on his team, but the 30-year-old put together his best season in 2018-19. He finished third in MVP voting after averaging 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. 

Oklahoma City was eliminated from the playoffs by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. 

One year after re-signing with the Thunder, George finally landed in Los Angeles when he was traded to the Clippers. The California native had a successful regular season with 21.5 points per game, but the team imploded in the playoffs by blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Denver Nuggets. 

Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris used Twitter to voice his displeasure with criticism of the team by ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins.

Appearing on ESPN's First Take, Perkins used the phrase "soft as hot Twinkies" to describe the Clippers (starts at 1:30 mark): 

Morris had this response (warning: contains profanity):

One year after being the darlings of the NBA thanks to the additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers find themselves in a position of trying to reshape their image. 

Since blowing a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, Tyronn Lue replaced Doc Rivers as head coach and questions about the team's on-court and locker-room chemistry have come up. 

Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported on Dec. 2 that Clippers players were unhappy with perks the team gave Leonard and George throughout the 2019-20 season. 

Even though their stock is not as high heading into the start of this season, the Clippers are still one of the most talented teams in the NBA—Leonard and George are an excellent duo, and Lue has experience navigating potentially combustible situations from his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

After one season, Paul George was convinced he wanted to be a member of the Los Angeles Clippers for the rest of his career, and he provided some insight into what he hopes to accomplish with the team in the future. 

"I owe them a trophy," he said Thursday, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. "That's what I owe this organization." 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the 30-year-old inked a four-year, $190 million extension that kicks in after he earns $35.4 million this upcoming year. 

George was traded to the Clippers from the Oklahoma City Thunder in July 2019, but the Clippers basically gutted the organization to do so, dealing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and the rights to trade two other first-round selections. 

In doing so, they also convinced Kawhi Leonard to sign with the team in free agency, as George revealed. Together, the pair led the Clippers past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015, reaching the Western Conference semifinals.

George, who was named first-team All-NBA in 2018-19, averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists through 48 games with the Clippers this season. 

A No. 10 pick by the Indiana Pacers in 2010, George averaged 20.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists throughout his career, which saw him spend seven seasons in Indiana before two with the Thunder, beginning in 2017.

"I was confident in myself and where I wanted to be," George said Thursday via ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "I love being here. I love the family that I created in my first year. This is where I want to be...I want to build a real foundation. Ultimately this is where my legacy, I want to leave the biggest imprint on."

Paul George wants to build a long-term winner alongside Kawhi Leonard. 

"I'm hopeful," George told reporters Thursday. "He's one of the guys I talked and informed this is a decision I wanted to make and be long term."

The comments come after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported George signed a maximum contract extension with the Los Angeles Clippers. The extension is for four more years that will pay him $190 million in addition to the $35.4 million he will receive for the 2020-21 campaign. What's more, there is a player option for the 2024-25 season.

Leonard has a player option for 2021-22 on his current contract.

"What I would love is to play with him for the rest of his contract," George said. "It's Kawhi's decision."

While Leonard's long-term future is still up in the air, George revealed he loves playing in Los Angeles and wants to cement his legacy with the team.

"I was confident in myself and where I wanted to be," the California native said. "I love being here. I love the family that I created in my first year. This is where I want to be...I want to build a real foundation. Ultimately this is where my legacy, I want to leave the biggest imprint on."

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said, "It's one thing to acquire a great player like Paul (George), it's another thing to retain him."

Pairing George and Leonard together prior to the 2019-20 season immediately established championship expectations for a franchise that has never made it out of the second round. After all, they are widely regarded as some of the top two-way playmakers in the league and seemed to be the perfect counter to LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs and never had a shot at the Lakers.

George capped off an inconsistent postseason with 10 points in Game 7 on 4-of-16 shooting from the field and 2-of-11 shooting from deep with five turnovers. That opened him up to plenty of criticism, and he seemed to take some responsibility for the loss in Thursday's press conference.

"I owe them a trophy," he said. "That's what I owe this organization."

It isn't particularly difficult to envision George bouncing back seeing how he is a five-time All-NBA selection, four-time All-Defensive selection and six-time All-Star. He will be in a new system with head coach Tyronn Lue—after notably criticizing former coach Doc Rivers—and is still just 30 years old.

It is once again championship-or-bust for the Clippers, and George feels like he owes the team just that.

Paul George reportedly signed a four-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday worth $190 million, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, on top of the $35.4 million he'll make in the 2020-21 campaign under his current deal. 

That deal will include a player option for the 2024-25 season and will replace his 2021-22 player option.

So with George locked up for the long term, the question now turns to Kawhi Leonard: Will he also commit to the Clippers for another four or five years? And what will his next contract look like?

Well, don't expect Leonard to sign a contract extension before he can become a free agent next summer. Kevin Pelton of ESPN explains why:

"Even if he wants to stay with the Clippers, Leonard will be better off financially playing out the season, declining his player option and re-signing a new deal next summer using Early Bird rights. Because he'll have 10 years of experience, Leonard will move into the larger 35 percent max category, allowing him to make up to $39.3 million based on the current 2021-22 salary-cap projection—a substantial raise on his $36 million player option."

George, for instance, was already eligible to hit that 35 percent benchmark given his 10 years in the NBA, which surely played a part in the 30-year-old signing an extension now rather than waiting until the summer. 

As for what the money would look like for Leonard on a four-year deal after this season, we can use the projections ESPN's Bobby Marks provided for George's extension to get an idea of what Leonard could sign for on a four-year deal as well:

Granted, the COVID-19 pandemic has made salary-cap projections a bit trickier than in years past. But Leonard would likely decline sign a deal in the ballpark of four years and $190 million, like George. 

All of that assumes that Leonard would remain with the Clippers, of course. Given that the 29-year-old wanted to return to Los Angeles and helped orchestrate the trade that landed George with the Clippers, it would be a surprise if Leonard jumped ship after just two seasons, especially since the Clippers will be able to offer him more money than any other team in free agency.

But hey, wilder things have also happened in the NBA. And even if Leonard stays, he could choose to do so on shorter-term deals, maintaining his flexibility if the Clippers fail to reach their championship aspirations. All of those options mean the stakes remain extremely high for the Clippers, even with George's extension ensuring that at least one star will be sticking around for a while.  

Paul George has reportedly agreed to a new maximum extension that will keep him with the Los Angeles Clippers through at least the 2023-24 season.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the new deal will add four years and $190 million to his contract, which was already set to pay him $35.4 million in 2020-21.

It gives the wing a max of $226 million over the next five seasons, including a player option for 2024-25.  

George could have become a free agent in 2021 if he had declined his $37.9 million player option after next season.

"This is an important moment for our franchise and our fans, to secure a long-term commitment from one of the premier two-way players in the NBA," Clippers president Lawrence Frank said Thursday, per Mark Medina of USA Today.

George is coming off an up-and-down first season in Los Angeles, averaging 21.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He struggled in the playoffs, shooting just 39.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range, and the Clippers lost in the second round.

The 30-year-old recently blamed former head coach Doc Rivers for his lack of production, telling the All the Smoke podcast he was used "like a Ray Allen or like a JJ Redick—all pindowns," (h/t Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).

He had been more productive in the past, earning six All-Star selections in the previous seven seasons. He was at his best in 2018-19 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and a league-high 2.2 steals per game.

George was also named first-team All-NBA and first-team All-Defense that season.

While locking him down for the next several seasons, the Clippers expect a bounce-back performance.

Paul George hasn't endeared himself to the Los Angeles Clippers lately, but the organization reportedly isn't looking to trade the six-time All-Star. 

Per Sam Amick of The Athletic, any potential friction between George and his teammates "seems to have been somewhat minimized by the roster moves and the Clippers, sources say, remain fully committed to George as part of their program."

George's first season with the Clippers reportedly included many bumps leading up to the team's playoff collapse against the Denver Nuggets. 

Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Clippers teammates took issue with the preferential treatment given to George given his lack of postseason success:

"But George's treatment was more of an issue within the locker room, league sources said. George, while a perennial All-Star and All-NBA candidate, didn't carry the same cachet with his teammates (as Kawhi Leonard). There was a sentiment among certain teammates of, 'What have you accomplished in the playoffs?' multiple league sources said."

After criticizing former head coach Doc Rivers for how he used him last season, George walked back those comments during the Clippers' first media session on Friday. 

"The fact that I gave up 3-1 series sits with me and haunts me. ... I want to clear things up: I respect Doc," he told reporters. 

George and Kawhi Leonard were expected to lead the Clippers to the NBA title as soon as they were acquired in July 2019. That duo looked like they had the franchise on the right track, finishing as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference during the regular season. 

Things fell apart in the second round of the postseason, as the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead. Rivers has since been replaced as head coach by Tyronn Lue. George shot 38.2 percent from the field in the final three games against the Nuggets, including a 4-of-16 performance in a 104-89 Game 7 loss. 

Leading into the start of the 2020-21 season, George will look for a bounce back to help Los Angeles get over the hump in the playoffs.