According to Joe Vardon and Sam Amick of ‘The Athletic,’ Lawrence Frank, the LA Clippers’ lead executive, has been extended by the franchise through what is speculated to be the next four years. Thus, the duties he has had will continue, but with the trade deadline under ten days, Frank has been granted the utmost job security, which could mean one thing: he has significant roster upgrades in mind that he did not want to invest in until he knew the franchise was committed to him.
Furthermore, Frank has been quite the executive, even though there are two very clear perceptions of his tenure: good, in the sense of consistent regular-season success, and poor, due to the fact that LA has not gotten out of the first round in years.
However, with extension talks sorted ahead of the deadline, Frank’s mind can be fully focused on providing the Clippers with star help, a competent point guard, and depth the offseason acquisitions disappointed in.
The Clippers’ deadline plans might have changed entirely following Lawrence Frank’s extension
Tyronn Lue’s recent confirmation on how the LA Clippers would go about the trade deadline could have had some hidden context, particularly a new contract for Lawrence Frank. Hence, plans can easily change with the man behind all of the action secured in a heavily coveted position for essentially the remainder of the decade.
The best of Frank’s decisions, on the current roster, correlate to drafting Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders, trading for John Collins, and re-signing James Harden. All were excellent parts of the plot the Clippers have capitalized on, yet the final task of a top-six seed is still pending.
To remain on the rise and become the first team in NBA history to start at 6-21 and obtain a finalized spot in the playoffs, ahead of the play-in tournament, Frank must prove the Clippers right for extending him and turn waste space into high-producing assets.
Keon Ellis is there, Coby White is not far off, and if Frank is tuned into the idea of a smart risk, a polarizing target like Jrue Holiday is just up north from Inglewood, California.
That said, in several cases, employment stability certainly drives hunger, and with Frank’s time in LA stretching further, the Clippers could very well be one of the most active teams at the deadline. This would ultimately deem the payday for the 2020 executive of the year as the catalyst for a roster turnaround.