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Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending

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Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending
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Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending

2024-05-07 05:34 Last Updated At:05:41

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers are moving into their new arena in nearby Inglewood this summer. Just who will be on the court and the sideline for them next season are among the decisions facing the team.

The health of their superstar Kawhi Leonard also looms large, after he was limited to two postseason games because of inflammation in his right knee that has been surgically repaired twice. Leonard's absence proved costly when the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs in six games by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

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Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) drives against Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers are moving into their new arena in nearby Inglewood this summer. Just who will be on the court and the sideline for them next season are among the decisions facing the team.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George, right, tries to drive by Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum during the first half in Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George, right, tries to drive by Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum during the first half in Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington, left, defends as Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard (2) works to the basket during the first half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 26, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington, left, defends as Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard (2) works to the basket during the first half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 26, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending

Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending

Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending

Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending

“We're still dealing with the inflammation. It’s not a structural thing,” Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said. “We're going to continue to try to learn how to manage his right knee. He showed that he's that guy still.”

Leonard played 68 games during the regular season, his most as a Clipper, before missing the final eight because of his knee. He signed a three-year extension worth $52 million in January. But his health has restricted his postseason availability for four straight years.

“I understand the skepticism of, ‘Hey, just this is another year where you haven’t had the group,’” Frank said Monday in his annual end-of-season remarks, “but I would guard against the cynicism because just because it’s happened doesn’t mean it’s always going to happen next year. We’re optimistic that we can put together a team that’s going to be a whole lot better than the group that we just finished with.”

Coach Tyronn Lue is also in the market for an extension and recently said he wants to stay with the team for a long time.

“Our hope is that Ty’s here for a long time and we love Ty,” Frank said. “Ty had a terrific year. He's one of the elite coaches in today's game.”

Paul George has a player option for next season at $48.7 million. He said recently he “absolutely” sees himself staying with the Clippers long term.

“We’ve had really, really good conversations over the course of the year and hopeful that we can get him to remain a Clipper,” Frank said.

James Harden will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Clippers acquired him in a trade with Philadelphia in October. He played a key role in the improvement of big man Ivica Zubac as well as easing the load on Leonard and George

George played in 74 games and Harden played in 72. The Clippers won the Pacific Division for the first time in 10 years.

“We want to retain those guys," Frank said. "We’re hopeful we can but also understand and respect the fact that they’re free agents.”

Russell Westbrook also has a player option. Zubac and Terence Mann both are eligible for extensions this summer.

The Clippers have one selection in the NBA draft in June — 46th in the second round.

“We will look at any opportunities in the draft via trade,” Frank said. “I think this draft has a very, very healthy middle class. You just got to pick the right player and we got to find the right player.”

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Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) drives against Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) drives against Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George, right, tries to drive by Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum during the first half in Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George, right, tries to drive by Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum during the first half in Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington, left, defends as Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard (2) works to the basket during the first half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 26, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington, left, defends as Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard (2) works to the basket during the first half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 26, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending

Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending

Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending

Leonard's health, contract extensions for George and Lue face Clippers with new arena move pending

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — In a campaign ad for Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te, incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen was shown driving with Lai in the passenger seat, exchanging reflections on their years governing together. Tsai later turned over the driving to Lai, who was joined by running mate Bi-khim Hsiao.

The message was clear: Lai would steer the island in the direction set by Tsai, who after eight years in power was barred from running again.

Lai, 64, will take office Monday. Continuing Tsai’s legacy means aiming to strike a balance between cultivating Taiwan’s unofficial alliance with the United States and maintaining peace with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary.

Lai is also expected to build on some of Tsai’s domestic reforms, despite political gridlock. Lai and Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party has lost the majority in the legislature, making it hard for Lai to push through legislation, including the approval of crucial national defense budgets.

Tsai, 67, has been Taiwan’s first female president and one of Asia’s few female leaders who didn’t hail from a political dynasty. Her legacy will be tied to defending the island’s sovereignty from China while refashioning it as a credible partner for the U.S. and other democracies. She will also be remembered for overseeing the legalization of same sex-marriage, steering Taiwan through the COVID years and kickstarting the island’s military modernization.

She leaves office with high approval ratings. A recent poll by broadcaster TVBS showed 42% of respondents were satisfied with her eight-year performance. Her predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, left office with approval ratings of around 23%.

Tsai’s popularity partly reflects a shift in Taiwan’s identity. A vast majority of residents now identify as Taiwanese as opposed to Chinese and want to be governed separately from Beijing. Taiwan and China have had different governments since a civil war in 1949 saw the Nationalists flee to the island while China’s Communist Party took control of the mainland.

Tsai veered from the more China-friendly policies of the previous ruling party, the Kuomintang. By the end of Ma’s tenure, the frequent exchanges with Beijing were making many Taiwanese nervous, said Shelley Rigger, a Taiwan expert at Davidson College.

Beijing called Tsai a separatist after she refused to acknowledge the 1992 Consensus, an agreement which says Taiwan is part of “One China.” While pulling away from Beijing, however, Tsai left a door open for communication.

“President Tsai has always said that Taiwan, under her leadership, is happy, willing and eager to have dialogue with Beijing, just not on terms unilaterally imposed by Beijing,” said Wen-Ti Sung, a fellow with Washington-based think tank Atlantic Council.

China has not only declined to speak to Tsai but also ramped up military and economic pressure on the island, sending warships and military jets near it daily.

Beijing prevents countries it has diplomatic relations with from having formal ties with Taipei. During Tsai’s tenure, it intensified a campaign to lure away the island’s few diplomatic partners. During Tsai’s years in office, China poached almost half of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, bringing the remaining number to 12.

Tsai pushed back by diversifying trade relationships and increasing military spending including submarine development. She also elevated Taiwan’s standing on the international stage, said outgoing Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

“Her leadership style is very moderate, but at the same time very firm in dealing with any kind of international pressure,” he said.

“She strengthened awareness of Taiwan around the world and its ties with the international community,” said Bonnie Glaser, the director of the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Lai, who served as vice president during Tsai's second term, came across as more of a firebrand earlier in his career. In 2017, he described himself as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwan’s independence,” drawing Beijing’s rebuke. He has since softened his stance and now supports maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and the possibility of talks with Beijing.

“Lai has spent the last two-plus years trying to convince the world that he is Tsai Ing-wen 2.0,” said Lev Nachman, an assistant professor at National Chengchi University.

Lai will build on Tsai’s efforts to strengthen ties with the U.S., which doesn’t formally recognize Taiwan as a country but is bound by its own laws to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

By some measures, Lai’s greatest uncertainty on the foreign policy front might come from Washington. A new Donald Trump administration could throw off whatever balance Tsai has achieved in Taipei’s relations with Washington and Beijing, Nachman said.

During Tsai's tenure, Taiwan became the first society in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, though critics say she skirted political responsibility by leaving the decision up to the Supreme Court and a series of referendums.

She oversaw a controversial pension and labor reform and extended the military conscription length to one year. She also kickstarted a military modernization drive, including a program for building indigenous submarines at more than $16 billion each.

Tsai’s leadership during the COVID pandemic split public opinion, with most admiring Taiwan’s initial ability to keep the virus largely outside its borders but criticizing the lack of investment in rapid testing as the pandemic progressed.

Tsai’s mixed success on the domestic policy front contributed to historically poor results for the DPP in local elections, said Sung with the Atlantic Council. The party’s poor performance in the 2022 elections led to Tsai resigning as party chairwoman. And while Lai won the presidential election, DPP lost its majority in the legislature.

“Much of President Tsai’s government’s success comes from the foreign policy and related international outreach fronts, and in terms of making inroads on the much more grassroots party machinery level, for example, those still have room for improvement,” Sung said.

A supporter of opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP) holds a guava, symbolizing dishonored ballot during a march to protest against Lai Ching-te's ruling Democratic Progressive party a day before his presidential inauguration in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. TPP demands that Lai''s government must implement parliamentary, judicial and constitutional reforms. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

A supporter of opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP) holds a guava, symbolizing dishonored ballot during a march to protest against Lai Ching-te's ruling Democratic Progressive party a day before his presidential inauguration in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. TPP demands that Lai''s government must implement parliamentary, judicial and constitutional reforms. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Supporters of opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP) stage a rally to protest against Lai Ching-te’s ruling Democratic Progressive party, a day before his presidential inauguration in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. TPP demands that Lai's government must implement parliamentary, judicial and constitutional reforms. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Supporters of opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP) stage a rally to protest against Lai Ching-te’s ruling Democratic Progressive party, a day before his presidential inauguration in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. TPP demands that Lai's government must implement parliamentary, judicial and constitutional reforms. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Supporters of opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP) gather to protest against Lai Ching-te’s ruling Democratic Progressive party, a day before his presidential inauguration in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. TPP demands that Lai's government must implement parliamentary, judicial and constitutional reforms. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Supporters of opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP) gather to protest against Lai Ching-te’s ruling Democratic Progressive party, a day before his presidential inauguration in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. TPP demands that Lai's government must implement parliamentary, judicial and constitutional reforms. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Supporters of opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP) march to protest against Lai Ching-te’s ruling Democratic Progressive party, a day before his presidential inauguration in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. TPP demands that Lai's government must implement parliamentary, judicial and constitutional reforms. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Supporters of opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP) march to protest against Lai Ching-te’s ruling Democratic Progressive party, a day before his presidential inauguration in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. TPP demands that Lai's government must implement parliamentary, judicial and constitutional reforms. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

FILE - Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a speech during the naming and launching ceremony of domestically-made submarines at CSBC Corp's shipyards in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Sept. 28, 2023. Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te is set to take office on May 20. Building on the legacy of incumbent president Tsai, Ing-wen means aiming to strike a balance between cultivating Taiwan's unofficial alliance with the United States, and maintaining peace with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)

FILE - Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a speech during the naming and launching ceremony of domestically-made submarines at CSBC Corp's shipyards in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Sept. 28, 2023. Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te is set to take office on May 20. Building on the legacy of incumbent president Tsai, Ing-wen means aiming to strike a balance between cultivating Taiwan's unofficial alliance with the United States, and maintaining peace with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)

FILE - In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, speaks at a luncheon during a visit by a Congressional delegation to Taiwan in Taipei, Taiwan, April 8, 2023. Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te is set to take office on May 20. Building on the legacy of incumbent president Tsai, Ing-wen means aiming to strike a balance between cultivating Taiwan's unofficial alliance with the United States, and maintaining peace with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP, File)

FILE - In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, speaks at a luncheon during a visit by a Congressional delegation to Taiwan in Taipei, Taiwan, April 8, 2023. Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te is set to take office on May 20. Building on the legacy of incumbent president Tsai, Ing-wen means aiming to strike a balance between cultivating Taiwan's unofficial alliance with the United States, and maintaining peace with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP, File)

Supporters watch an ad showing then Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te in a car driven by incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen during a rally held in New Taipei, Taiwan, on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. In the campaign ad, Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te and incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen was shown driving steadily on the island's roads with Lai in the passenger seat, exchanging barbs and reflections on their years governing together. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Supporters watch an ad showing then Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te in a car driven by incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen during a rally held in New Taipei, Taiwan, on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. In the campaign ad, Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te and incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen was shown driving steadily on the island's roads with Lai in the passenger seat, exchanging barbs and reflections on their years governing together. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

FILE - Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te, who also goes by William, is greeted by supporters during an election canvass of a neighborhood in Taoyuan, Taiwan, Jan. 11, 2024, ahead of the presidential election. Lai Ching-te is set to take office as Taiwan's new president on May 20. Building on the legacy of incumbent president Tsai, Ing-wen means aiming to strike a balance between cultivating Taiwan's unofficial alliance with the United States, and maintaining peace with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)

FILE - Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te, who also goes by William, is greeted by supporters during an election canvass of a neighborhood in Taoyuan, Taiwan, Jan. 11, 2024, ahead of the presidential election. Lai Ching-te is set to take office as Taiwan's new president on May 20. Building on the legacy of incumbent president Tsai, Ing-wen means aiming to strike a balance between cultivating Taiwan's unofficial alliance with the United States, and maintaining peace with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)

FILE - Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai celebrates his victory after Taiwan's presidential election, in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Lai Ching-te is set to take office as Taiwan's new president on May 20. Building on the legacy of incumbent president Tsai, Ing-wen means aiming to strike a balance between cultivating Taiwan's unofficial alliance with the United States, and maintaining peace with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)

FILE - Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai celebrates his victory after Taiwan's presidential election, in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Lai Ching-te is set to take office as Taiwan's new president on May 20. Building on the legacy of incumbent president Tsai, Ing-wen means aiming to strike a balance between cultivating Taiwan's unofficial alliance with the United States, and maintaining peace with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)

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