INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers are committed to a future with Kawhi Leonard as they transition from being the oldest team in the NBA to a younger one.
"Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said Friday. “At the appropriate time, we'll sit down with Kawhi and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan and if our goals are aligned, then we'd like to win with Kawhi.”
Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists while playing in 65 games this season. He turns 35 in June and will enter the final year of a $149.5 million, three-year contract extension that he signed in 2024.
The Clippers would owe him $50.3 million next season, and they can extend his contract for two more seasons after the NBA Finals in June.
After a 6-21 start, the Clippers finished with a winning record (42-40) for the 15th consecutive season. They blew a 13-point lead at home in the final 10 minutes and lost 126-121 to Golden State in a play-in tournament game that ended their season.
Asked about his future Wednesday, Leonard said, “Let me cry about this loss a little bit more. We’ll have our discussions when that time comes.”
Leonard is missing the playoffs for the first time in his career when healthy. In his seven seasons with the Clippers, they reached the Western Conference finals in 2021 and lost in the first round the three previous years.
Also looming over the organization is the NBA's ongoing investigation involving Leonard's endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt former team sponsor, Aspiration. An outside law firm is looking into whether the deal was a way for the Clippers to circumvent the league's salary cap.
“I think that we're going to be in the clear,” Leonard said Wednesday, “so I'm not stressing it.”
Frank said the investigation, which began in September, had no effect on the season.
“If you know (owner) Steve (Ballmer) and know Steve’s integrity, you know there’s nothing to it,” he said. “We believe and we've very confident we’re on the right side of this.”
Even at the team's lowest point, Frank said, there was never any consideration given to firing coach Tyronn Lue.
“I thought Ty and the staff did an unbelievable job,” he said.
Frank met Thursday with the players and basketball operations team to share his viewpoint on the season. It'll be another week or so before the team holds individual exit interviews.
“We’re in this bridge period from competitive to get to contender,” Frank said. “We do have great hope and optimism with our future. We’ve put ourselves in a very good position with emerging young players, draft capital and cap space going forward.”
The team's young returning corps includes Darius Garland, Derrick Jones Jr., Isaiah Jackson and Yanic Konan Niederhauser.
Veteran John Collins is an unrestricted free agent, while Bennedict Mathurin is a restricted free agent. The Clippers hold team options on Kris Dunn, Nicolas Batum, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Brook Lopez, Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders.
“With any roster move,” Frank said, "how does it help us get closer to contention?”
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Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue gestures during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump berated Senate Republicans face to face on Wednesday for allowing a vote to block his war in Iran, further escalating a feud that has diverted GOP efforts to focus on election-year affordability issues and brought much of the chamber’s business to a halt.
Invited by Florida Sen. Rick Scott to speak at a GOP luncheon in the Capitol, Trump had signaled ahead of time that he would use the closed-door meeting to push senators to pass his proof-of-citizenship voting bill. But the conversation was more focused on Tuesday's vote to approve the war powers resolution, a mostly symbolic measure that allows Congress to rebuke the administration's military actions. The House passed its own version of the resolution earlier this month.
Trump had particular words for the four Republican senators who voted with Democrats on the measure — Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — after calling them “losers” on social media.
Most Republicans stayed quiet. But Cassidy, who lost re-election in his primary last month after Trump endorsed an opponent, stood up and defended his vote.
“I stood and said, ‘You have not told the American people what’s going on,’” Cassidy told reporters after the meeting. “This was supposed to last four weeks, it’s lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved.”
The two men “went back and forth,” Cassidy said, and he “matched his tone and volume." Cassidy said that he eventually de-escalated, but he did not want to be bullied.
“I am voting for war powers until I get a briefing,” he said afterward.
Trump repeatedly told Cassidy to sit down, according to a person familiar with the private meeting who was not authorized to discuss it. At one point, the president called the senator a “lunatic."
Publicly, Trump said afterward that they had “a really great meeting." But he hinted at the discord.
“We like everyone in the room," Trump told reporters on his way out. "I don’t like a few people, but that’s OK.”
The luncheon capped weeks of friction between Trump and Senate Republicans and added a new layer of frustration as Tuesday's vote was the first time the Senate had adopted a war powers resolution on the Iran war. Trump made clear he was in no mood to compromise before it even started, calling off a scheduled signing ceremony on a housing bill that passed both chambers overwhelmingly this week and that GOP lawmakers were touting as an election-year achievement.
Republican senators were eager for a conciliatory meeting with the president after escalating tensions in recent weeks. But Trump upended their plans when he declared on social media just beforehand that he wouldn't sign the legislation until they send him the SAVE America Act, his bill to require proof of citizenship for all voters.
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he doesn't know why Trump is holding the housing bill “hostage” for the voting bill that “will never pass in this Congress.”
“It makes no sense to me,” Tillis said as he walked into the luncheon.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the housing legislation, which aims to lower costs, is "an affordability issue,” Thune said, "and eventually I hope he finds a way to sign it.”
It's unclear if Trump might veto the legislation. But by rejecting a public bill signing, Republicans worry that Trump is indicating a level of indifference to voters’ affordability concerns heading into November’s midterm elections.
Trump's move on the housing bill is his latest reversal after weeks of being at odds with Senate Republicans.
Trump has blocked the Senate from confirming one of his own nominees, asked them to fund parts of his White House ballroom project despite opposition and forced them to defend the Iran war even as they question the strategy and endgame.
Trump has also helped whittle down his own support in the Senate after endorsing primary challengers to two GOP incumbents who were previously reliable votes for his agenda — Cassidy and Texas Sen. John Cornyn. Both men have become more critical of Trump since losing re-election.
“If we’re going to win the midterm elections, we need to get on the same page,” Cornyn said ahead of the meeting. “We’re not on the same page now, and that I think is dangerous.”
The lunch meeting didn't appear to bring the two sides any closer together. “It was kind of a one sided conversation,” Thune said afterward.
Trump has pressed Republicans for months to kill the Senate filibuster and focus on the proof-of-citizenship voting bill, even though Thune has repeatedly told him that neither has the votes.
While Thune remains popular in his conference and cordial with the president, he has spent much of his time lately telling Trump what he doesn’t want to hear. Thune said Tuesday that while Trump and some in their conference want to see the voting bill pass, “it’s just not realistic.”
Trump has also demanded that they add a ban on mail-in ballots to the bill as well as unrelated provisions to block sex reassignment surgeries on some minors and prevent transgender women from playing in women’s sports.
Thune devoted weeks of floor time to the voting bill earlier this year and has said he supports it. But he has repeatedly said there aren’t enough votes to scrap the filibuster that triggers a 60-vote threshold to pass most bills in the 53-47 Senate. And Democrats are uniformly opposed to the bill.
“Those are just hard realities,” Thune said. “And I think people at some point have to come to grips with that.“
Scott did not give Thune a heads up before inviting Trump to the Wednesday luncheon, which he runs. Scott, who ran against Thune for leader two years ago, said Trump responded on the spot to his invitation while the two were talking last week and said he would come.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday that he had talked through a different approach on his call with Trump — putting the voting bill on a budget reconciliation measure that would only need a simple majority to pass. He has proposed a federal grant program that would provide funding to states if they implement various SAVE Act provisions.
But the process is long and complicated, and Republicans are divided over how to proceed.
A handful of senators are also still pushing the bill. Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has amassed a large following on X with daily posts about how they should kill the filibuster and pass the bill, echoing Trump's claims that Republicans need it to win in this year's midterms, even after sweeping victories in 2024.
Scott said Trump spelled out during the meeting the various options the Senate could pursue is passing the SAVE Act.
“He really believes its the key to this fall," Scott said of Trump.
Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., leaves a closed-door meeting with President Donald Trump and Republican senators, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
President Donald Trump walks away after speaking to reporters with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., at the Ohio Clock on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters after meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
President Donald Trump turns to depart after speaking with reporters as Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., from left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., listen on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
President Donald Trump is joined by from left: Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, of S.D., as he departs the Senate Steering Committee Lunch at the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
President Donald Trump, escorted by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., heads to a meeting with Senate Republicans at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., speaks to reporters as Republican senators arrive for a closed-door lunch at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, to prepare for a meeting with President Donald Trump Wednesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., arrives at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, as he prepares for a meeting with President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
