Before Chris Paul was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011, he had a stereotypical view of the city.
“When I came as a visitor, we always stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in the Marina, and every player, all [we] did was go to Rodeo Drive the day before the game or whatnot,” says Paul, who began his NBA career playing with the New Orleans Hornets in 2005. “That was all I thought L.A. was. I thought it was all very Hollywood, glitz and glamour, so I never wanted to come out here to live.”
In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
But once the veteran point guard and his family found a home with a pool — a nonnegotiable for the North Carolina native — and got settled into their new environment, they grew to love the city. So much so that his wife, Jada Crawley, and his now-teenage children continued living in L.A. when he left to play for the Houston Rockets in 2017.
When the news hit last month that he would be returning to the L.A. Clippers — a dream that he says he “manifested” — Paul was buzzing with excitement.
“Over the years, L.A. became home,” says Paul, whose fans lovingly call him “CP3.” He was sitting in a conference room at the Intuit Dome, the Clippers’ arena, during our Zoom call. “My family being here is all good and well, but also my community. If you live somewhere and call it home for a while, you make friends that are like family, so being away for a long time, I just missed those relationships.”
Below is a game plan for Paul’s perfect Sunday in L.A. It involves going to a soul food brunch spot after church with his family, practicing his swing at a driving range and hosting a game night. Here’s the play by play.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
6 a.m.: Hit the gym I’m an early riser. I’m up at like 6 a.m. in the gym on the daily. I’d do a home gym workout. That’s a nonnegotiable. Then I’d have a small breakfast afterward. I’d probably have some french toast. That’s my favorite. I’d also have some scrambled eggs, sautéed spinach and some fruit on the side.
8:30 a.m.: Church with the fam I actually had the perfect Sunday [recently]. I got dressed and went to church. It was me, my wife, my daughter, my son and two of his friends who spent the night, my brother and his wife’s family, and my two little cousins who brought their friends. There were 16 of us. We decided to go to the 8:30 a.m. service at Believe L.A. Pastor Lindsey is great. I love the people there. Obviously given my schedule, I don’t get to go every Sunday, but just about every time I’ve been there so far, it’s like the message is something that I needed to hear.
11 a.m.: Soul food brunch After church, the place we’d go to is Harold and Belle’s. I know the family that owns the restaurant and it’s just very soulful. They do these fried mushrooms that I definitely gotta have. It really just feels like home.
2 p.m.: Practice my swing at the driving range It’s funny because it’s going to be one of two things. My wife and my daughter will definitely want to go to Century City or the Topanga mall. They like to shop. So if they went to the mall, I would probably go to the driving range and hit some golf balls. I’m a member at a couple of courses, El Caballero Country Club and Sherwod Country Club. I’ve been playing golf since around 2009. It is the coolest thing ever. I grew up playing basketball with my brother and my dad, and now obviously we can’t hoop together, so for years, that’s how we’ve spent time. We go out and play golf together. I got a chance to play with a couple of friends out here in L.A. that I hadn’t played with in years. [I appreciate] the camaraderie and the time you get to spend out there on the golf course.
7 p.m.: Dinner at Nobu After that, I probably gotta chill at the house for a little bit and get ready for dinner. I’m probably going to go to Nobu in Malibu with my family. I always have my crew with me. If I’m not at Nobu, I’m at BLVD Steak. I like the crispy rice and the salmon avocado, which is like sashimi, but they do it with avocado. At BLVD Steak, they have this chopped salad that is amazing. You know my favorite food that I cannot say no to at any time? French fries. I’m a french fry connoisseur. I like for the edges to be a little bit crispy.
9:30 p.m.: Invite everyone over and play Onze After dinner, everybody will come back to my house and we’ll play this game called Onze. Everybody gets 11 cards. There’s six rounds and for every two players, you need one deck. We play this game nightly.
Since I got into the NBA, on every flight, we play this game called Booray [also known as Bourré]. It’s almost like spades. It’s like the NBA game. Onze is amazing because sometimes we’ll have 15 or 20 people at our house and we’ll just set up different tables. So no matter what happens throughout the day, that’s going to be the nightcap. We’ll have Good Eat’n snacks. [Editor’s note: Good Eat’n is the plant-based snack company Paul launched in partnership with GoPuff after changing his diet to be primarily plant-based.] We got drinks. I’m definitely having a few glasses of red wine. We’ll have music going. It is literally the best time.
12:30 a.m.: Get some shut–eye At the end of the night, I’ll see everybody out. Hug my kids — I would say kiss my kids, but I don’t know if my daughter will still let me kiss her — and then I’ll go to bed.
“Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” Doncic said in the article published Monday.
His altered physique, however, is not what makes Doncic a changed man. His sleek new look is the result of much bigger changes in his lifestyle this offseason.
According to the article, Doncic has been home in Croatia where he gets in two 90-minute workouts a day. The sessions included deadlifts, dumbbell bench presses, lateral bounds, resistance band drills, sprints and hurdles. The workouts wrap up with Doncic on the basketball court shooting jump shots.
And Doncic’s eating habits have changed too. His diet is now gluten-free, low-sugar and high-protein. He also uses an intermittent fasting plan the article says is “designed to limit inflammation and help his body recover better.”
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UCLA NEWSLETTER
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Get informed and entertained about everything Bruin sports, from takeaways on the latest big game to recruiting buzz. We’ll also remember some of the greatest athletes, coaches and games that made UCLA sports so special.
The newsletter will be interactive, including polls and questions about UCLA sports old and new. It’ll also cover the school’s tradition-rich Olympic sports, highlighting one each week.
The newsletter will be emailed to you every Monday morning.
The thrilling opening act, when the second-year Japanese star started the season with a 4-2 record and 0.90 earned-run average in his first seven starts.
A shaky middle stanza, when the 26-year-old right-hander stumbled with a 2-4 mark and 4.43 ERA over his next eight outings from May 8 to June 19.
And lately, what he and the Dodgers hope will be a midseason revival, with Yamamoto rounding back into Cy Young-caliber form again with a 3-1 record and 1.71 ERA over his last six trips to the mound bump.
In a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, Yamamoto delivered another master class for the Dodgers at Great American Ball Park, giving up just one run on four hits while striking out nine over seven superb innings.
“He was fantastic,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It seemed like he had all of his pitches working tonight.”
Kenley Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 19th save as the Angels won back-to-back games for the first time since defeating Arizona on July 11 and 12.
The 37-year-old Jansen hasn’t allowed an earned run in 16 consecutive appearances, the longest active streak in the American League and the third-longest of his career.
Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball’s best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs, has died. He was 65.
Sandberg was surrounded by his family when he died at his home on Monday, according to the team.
Sandberg announced in January 2024 that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He had chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and then said in August 2024 that he was cancer-free.
But he posted on Instagram on Dec. 10 that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs. He announced this month that he was still fighting, while “looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.”
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said Sandberg “will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise.”
From Ryan Kartje: When DJ Wingfield picked USC in the transfer portal last January, it seemed like an ideal one-year arrangement for both parties. The Trojans desperately needed experience on the interior of their already thin offensive line. Wingfield — after two seasons at a junior college, one at New Mexico and another spent at Purdue — was seeking to raise his profile in his final season of eligibility.
USC offered him a clear path to playing time at left guard, as well as a $210,000 payday for his name, image and likeness. He just needed the NCAA to approve a waiver for him to play another season.
Neither Wingfield nor USC figured that would be a problem at the time. But the NCAA denied Wingfield’s initial request for a waiver in late March, then later denied his appeal.
From Ira Gorawara: Before Chris Paul’s voice echoed through the room, his reasons for returning home were staring at him.
His three children, perched quietly next to their mom, Jada Crawley, watched as Paul talked about why he decided to return to the Clippers. Paul’s mother sat in the second row of the news conference with a beaming smile.
Chris Paul was back home.
“It was a no-brainer. The easiest decision in this is sitting right up here,” Paul said, gesturing to his family in the front three rows. “Right here, it’s my family.”
1751 — The first International World Title Prize Fight takes place in Harlston, England. The champion, Jack Slack of England, beats the challenger, M. Petit of France, in 25 minutes.
1934 — Paul Runyan beats Craig Wood on the 38th hole to win the PGA Championship at Park Country Club in Williamsville, N.Y.
1956 — Cathy Cornelius wins a playoff over Barbara McIntyre to win the U.S. Women’s Open.
1957 — At the Polo Grounds in New York, Floyd Patterson TKOs Tommy Jackson at 1:52 of the 10th round to retain the heavyweight title.
1960 — The first American Football League preseason game is played in Buffalo, N.Y. The Boston Patriots, led by quarterback Butch Songin, beat the Bills 28-7 before 16,474 fans at War Memorial Stadium .
1979 — Amy Alcott shoots a 7-under 285 to beat Nancy Lopez in the Peter Jackson Classic, later named The du Maurier Classic. The du Maurier is one of the LPGA Tour’s major championships from 1979-2000.
1986 — The USFL wins and loses in its lawsuit against the NFL. The jury finds the NFL violated antitrust laws, as the USFL claimed, but awards the USFL only $1 in damages.
1989 — Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor becomes the first person to high jump 8 feet, breaking his world record at the Caribbean Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He surpasses his mark of 7-11½.
1990 — Beth Daniel shoots a 66 to overcome a 5-shot deficit and win the LPGA Championship — her first major title in 12 years on the tour. Daniel beats Rosie Jones by one stroke and pockets $150,000, the largest in LPGA Tour history.
1992 — The U.S. 400-meter freestyle relay team wins the gold medal, with Matt Biondi and Tom Jager becoming the first U.S. male swimmers to win golds in three Olympics.
1996 — Michael Johnson sweeps to victory in an Olympic 400-meter record 43.49 seconds, while Carl Lewis leaps into history in Atlanta. Lewis’ long jump of 27 feet, 10¾ inches earns him his ninth gold medal, equaling the American mark held by swimmer Mark Spitz.
2001 — Copa América Final, Estadio El Campín, Bogotá: Defender Iván Córdoba scores winner as home team Columbia edge Mexico, 1-0.
2008 — Disgraced ex-NBA official Tim Donaghy admits he brought shame on his profession as a federal judge sentenced him to 15 months behind bars for a gambling scandal.
2012 — Kimberly Rhode wins the Olympic gold medal in women’s skeet shooting, becoming the first American to take an individual-sport medal in five consecutive Olympics.
2012 — Dana Vollmer of the U.S. sets a world record to win the 100-meter butterfly at the London Olympics. Vollmer hits the wall in 55.98 seconds to shave 0.08 off the mark set by Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden at the 2009 world championships in Rome.
2015 — Russia’s Natalya Ishchenko wins a record 18th career synchronized swimming gold medal at the world championships at Kazan, Russia.
2021 — Sunisa Lee wins the women’s all-around gymnastics gold medal in Tokyo.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1908 — Rube Waddell struck out 16, sending the St. Louis Browns past the Philadelphia A’s 5-4.
1911 — Joe Wood of the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Browns with a 5-0 no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader. Wood fanned 12 and allowed three baserunners on two walks and a hit batsman.
1915 — Honus Wagner, 41, became the oldest player to hit a grand slam as Pittsburgh beat Brooklyn 8-2. The grand slam was an inside-the-park homer. Wagner remained the record holder until 1985, when Tony Perez hit one the day before his 43rd birthday.
1928 — The Cleveland Indians scored eight runs in the first inning and nine more in the second and went on to beat the New York Yankees 24-6 at Dunn Field. Johnny Hodapp singled twice in the second and sixth innings.
1936 — The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 22-7 in the first game of a doubleheader, then lost the second game 5-4.
1955 — Smoky Burgess of the Cincinnati Reds hit three home runs and drove in nine runs in a 16-5 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Crosley Field.
1968 — George Culver of the Cincinnati Reds pitched a 6-1 no-hitter against the Phillies in the second game of a doubleheader at Philadelphia.
1983 — Steve Garvey of the San Diego Padres ended his NL record of 1,207 consecutive games. The streak ended when he dislocated his thumb in a collision with Atlanta pitcher Pascual Perez while trying to score.
2000 — Eddie Taubensee hit a game-tying homer with two outs in the ninth and homered again in the 11th to lead Cincinnati to a 4-3 win over Montreal.
2001 — Craig Monroe homered in his first major league at-bat, and the Texas Rangers beat Tampa Bay 2-0.
2003 — Boston’s Bill Mueller became the first player in major league history to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in a game and connected for three homers in a 14-7 win at Texas.
2006 — Tomas Perez tied a major league record with four doubles, going 5-for-5 and leading the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to a 19-6 rout of the New York Yankees.
2010 — Anibal Sanchez pitched a one-hitter, leading the Florida Marlins past the San Francisco Giants 5-0. Sanchez retired his first 13 batters and matched a career high with eight strikeouts.
2018 — The Hall of Fame inducts one of the largest classes in its history. Honored are Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman, Chipper Jones, Jack Morris, Jim Thome and Alan Trammell.
2022 — Aaron Judge hits two more homers in leading the Yankees to an 11 – 5 win over the Royals. He now has 41 on the season, tying the American League record for most before the end of July held by Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and Ken Griffey Jr. Judge will set a new record with another homer tomorrow.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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Before Chris Paul’s voice echoed through the room, his reasons for returning home were staring at him.
His three children, perched quietly next to their mom, Jada Crawley, watched as Paul talked about why he decided to return to the Clippers. Paul’s mother sat in the second row of the news conference with a beaming smile.
Chris Paul was back home.
“It was a no-brainer. The easiest decision in this is sitting right up here,” Paul said, gesturing to his family in the front three rows. “Right here, it’s my family.”
When Paul was first introduced as a Clipper in December 2011, he spoke of measuring up against “big brother” Chauncey Billups and soaring alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan — a core that would lob their way into Clippers lore.
Paul’s first message to L.A. were three constants — the allure of the city, the talent beside him and a title that still eluded them.
On Monday, Paul traded the sharp lines of his 2011 debut suit and red silk tie for something looser — flowing black slacks, red Nike Air Jordan 1s and a flash of gold on his wrist. And 14 years after his L.A. premiere, he spoke of sharing the court with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
But this time, the Clippers star-studded lineup wasn’t what lit his path home.
“If I’m really honest, I wanted to get back and play here by any means necessary,” Paul said. “I didn’t even care what the team looked like. I just wanted to be home, be here with the Clippers.”
Chris Paul’s wife, Jada Crawley, center, sits next to their children and family during Paul’s news conference at the Intuit Dome on Monday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Gratitude washed over Paul’s words — for his year in San Antonio, for Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, for Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and for a 21st season. But anchoring it all was his family.
Paul is no longer thinking about playing in another city away from his family. The tearful send-offs are behind him. His mornings now begin with sunrise workouts with his son. He winds down in the evenings talking to his daughter.
“To tell you the truth, my wife and my kids probably [are] tired of me already,” Paul said, his wife laughing. “Because ever since I got the news, every time we home, I’m just jumping around talking about, ‘I’m home, I’m home, I’m home.’”
Chris Paul, signs autographs and greets fans during a news conference at the Intuit Dome on Monday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
As familiar as he is with the Clippers, Paul said his return still felt surreal — the No. 3 stitched onto a Clippers jersey, his name gleaming above the locker and a “Welcome Back” message circling the halo board.
What makes it even sweeter? A brand new stage. The last time Paul played for the Clippers, they played at Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena). On Monday, he got an up-close look at the Intuit Dome.
“Walking around now, it’s a total different feeling,” Paul said. “Last time I walked through here, I was just sort of peeking because I didn’t know if a guy on the current team was here and they [were] like, ‘What the hell are you doing here?’”
Chris Paul was visibly emotional as Clippers fans stood in ovation and chanted “CP3” as their star returned to Los Angeles.
Paul noted the franchise’s makeover — new colors, new logo — but one thing, he said, hadn’t budged: the fans.
One corner of Crypto.com Arena still lives staunchly in Paul’s memory. Section 114 housed the pockets of Clippers die-hards he’d glance at after every dagger three or rim-rattling “Lob City” spectacle.
Some fans, Paul said, even pledged loyalty in ink. Back then, some made a pact that if the Clippers scored 114 points in a game, they’d get a “114” tattoo. When the team delivered, so did they.
“The fans here are like none other,” Paul said. “They are really fans of the game. … The team and everybody, they deserve good things and deserve to see this team win.”
Paul got a full dose of nostalgia a short time later when dozens of Clippers fans gave him a standing ovation, chanting, “CP3!”
He sank into his seat, shoulders folding inward as he clasped his hands — emotion creeping in as the cheers grew louder.
“This is crazy,” he said.
So as Paul rose from the podium and thanked the media, his mother held her gaze, her smile still stitched in place. For eight years, she’d grown used to goodbyes. But this time, there would be no parting hug.
“This is one of those things I kind of manifested for a long time, sort of tried to speak it into existence,” Paul said. “Because I love to hoop, I love to play this game, but I love my family more than any of it.”
The Clippers had a need for a playmaker and ballhandler, and they were able to find that “natural fit” with Chris Paul.
Paul spent six seasons with the Clippers, a time when he had plenty of success leading them to relevancy and now he’s back to play his 21st season, which might be his last.
Paul, 40, a 12-time All-Star, agreed to a contract that will pay him $3.6 million next season.
“Chris was a natural fit,” Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, said over Zoom on Tuesday. “His roots with the organization are deep and meaningful. He obviously played a tremendous role in the upward trajectory of the franchise. He wanted to return to the Clippers and we wanted it the same, as long as it made sense with our current roster — and it does.”
Paul has spent his entire 20-year career as a starter in the NBA, playing in all 82 games last season with the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 28 minutes per game while shooting 42.7% from the field.
Over the course of playing in 1,354 regular-season games, Paul has started in 1,314.
Frank said Paul will “slot into our roster as a reserve point guard,” a role the two of them discussed.
“So, we don’t take that lightly when you’re taking on a different role,” Frank said. “And so there were a lot of conversations. You put everything on the table and get everyone comfortable with it. But the fact that Chris wanted to come back, wanted to be at home, wanted to be with the Clippers, we obviously know what his skill set is, but we also wanted to make sure the role made perfect sense from both people’s perspective.
“And so I thought it was a very, very thorough process in terms of how we went about it, just to make sure that everyone knows exactly what we’re signing up for and we feel really, really good about it.”
Playing time also could be tricky at the guard spot with Paul now on board.
James Harden, who averaged 35.3 minutes per game last season, and Bradley Beal are the likely starters in the backcourt for Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. Then there is Kris Dunn, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Paul who could be in the rotation.
“We know that ballhandling was a little bit of an issue for us last year and we wanted to get … Chris was the best guy for the job as long as everyone understood exactly what the role was and we can all embrace it,” Frank said. “And so, we’ve been very, very honest and direct and we feel great that Chris is back.”
Frank said Harden played a big role in the team acquiring Beal. Frank was asked if Harden talked to Paul about returning to the Clippers. Harden and Paul played two seasons together in Houston, from 2017 to 2019, and there were reports that their relationship was strained.
Frank said, “They did.” when asked if Harden and Paul had talked.
“And when talking to James, talking to Kawhi [Leonard] — and we talked about what the role would be — both guys said CP would be the best guy for this role,” Frank said.
Paul and Beal have both worn No. 3 their entire careers. But Frank said Beal will let Paul wear No. 3 and decide later what his new number will be.
“So, it’s awesome that Brad made such a great gesture like that,” Frank said. “And so Chris will be No. 3.”
During his six seasons with the Clippers, from 2011 until 2017, Paul helped the franchise reach new heights. He joined Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form “Lob City.”
But it sounds as if this will be Paul’s last season in the NBA and it’ll be with the Clippers and it’ll allow him to play in front of his family that lives in the Los Angeles area.
“Well, I think there’s the nostalgic aspect,” Frank said. “But I think the No. 1 question that we always say, is how can he help impact winning? … And yeah, look, there’s the heartstrings part of it, of someone who was such a significant part of the Clippers’ rise to be able to bring it back. Whether this is his last year or not, that’s obviously Chris’ story in terms of what he feels and what he wants. But I think No. 1 is his ability to help impact winning.”
The Clippers went from “strongly, strongly considering” bringing Chris Paul back to the franchise to actually agreeing to a deal with the point guard on Monday, according to people familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly.
Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, told the media Saturday in a Zoom that Paul “obviously possesses some of the qualities we just referenced” and that led to the two sides agreeing to a veteran’s minimum deal of about $3.6 million.
Paul played joined the Clippers for the 2011-12 season and was with the team until 2017 as he teamed up with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form the core of the “Lob City” teams.
“What I’d say about Chris is he’s a great player,” Frank said during that Zoom meeting. “He’s a great Clipper.”
In what is likely his final season in the NBA, Paul will be entering his 21st campaign and will do so in Los Angeles, where his family lives.
Paul, 40, played in all 82 games last season with the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 28.0 minutes per game, 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and shot 42.7% from the field.
Over the course of his career, Paul averaged 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and shot 47% from the field and 37% from three-point range.
Paul, a 12-time NBA All-Star, was a teammate with James Harden during the 2017-18 season with the Houston Rockets.
With the addition of Paul, the Clippers now have five veteran guards. They signed Bradley Beal to a two-year, $11-million deal and they also have Harden, Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanonic.
As Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank conducted his Zoom with the media Saturday from the team’s practice facility, he looked to his right and mentioned how James Harden was in the gym working out and how Harden played a pivotal role in the team signing free-agent guard Bradley Beal.
But Frank is not done building a roster to compete in the rugged Western Conference, indicating that signing former Clippers guard Chris Paul is high on their list.
There have been so many rumors about Paul wanting to play for the Clippers in the upcoming season, about how he wanted to be close to his family in the Los Angeles area, and how the Clippers had interest in him returning to the franchise.
Frank didn’t shy away from how the Clippers view having Paul on the roster.
“He obviously possesses some of the qualities we just referenced about and of course we’re strongly, strongly considering him,” Frank said.
Paul, 40, played in all 82 games last season with the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 28.0 minutes per game, 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and shot 42.7% from the field.
He spent six years with the Clippers, from 2011-12 until the 2016-17 season, and ushered in the “Lob City” era with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
“What I’d say about Chris is he’s a great player,” Frank said. “He’s a great Clipper.”
Paul was traded in June of 2017 to the Houston Rockets, where he became a teammate of Harden.
Over the course of his 20-year career, Paul averaged 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and shot 47% from the field and 37% from three-point range.
If the Clippers do sign him, they will have three point guards — Harden, Kris Dunn and Paul.
Frank said the Clippers want to “lean into the ballhandling and playmaking” as they look to complete the roster.
“What we’ve seen is sometimes the problem of having too many guys and how that can impact the team,” Frank said. “So, we’ve learned from those lessons and I think the conversations that we have with anyone who’s going to join the Clippers next, they understand it’s a reserve role. They understand that kind of going into camp exactly what it looks like. So there’s no preconceived misconceptions yet.”
Adding Paul would give the Clippers five veteran guards — Harden, Beal, Paul, Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanonic — on a team that typically rotates 10 players during a game under coach Tyronn Lue’s system.
Harden played in 79 games last season and he averaged 35.3 minutes per game, ranking him 16th in the NBA. He averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds and shot 41% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range.
He’ll be 36 in August and having more playmaking guards like Paul will relieve some of the pressure off Harden.
“The reality is for any NBA team, the amount of times you have your top 10 all available, it’s usually 21 to 25 times throughout the course of a year,” Frank said. “So, you literally need everyone on your roster to be able to contribute. But to your point, because we do have a lot of versatility. …
“So, Brad Beal could give us more playmaking with the ball. … Kris Dunn can be the backup point guard. Bogdan can handle along with James. You just want to put everything on the table and then find the best person who can have total role acceptance and awareness and still if needed to play can play.”
Beal, 32, signed a two-year, $11-million deal with the Clippers, with a player option after next season. He averaged 17.0 points last season with the Phoenix Suns and shot 49.7% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range.
Beal probably will be the starting two guard next to Harden.
“As you guys know, Brad is a gifted two-way player who’s a three-level scorer who can create offense for himself and others,” Frank said. “He brings additional ball-handling, play-making and shooting to the group areas we wanted to upgrade.”
