Los Angeles Clippers President Lawrence Frank recently said that the lineup will still be built around Kawhi Leonard and James Harden next season.

On May 3, local time, the Los Angeles Clippers lost to the Denver Nuggets 101-120 in the first round of the NBA playoffs, losing 3-4 to the Western Conference semifinals. In this game, Kawhi Leonard contributed 22 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, with a shooting percentage of 46.2% and a three-point shooting percentage of 50.0%. James Harden performed poorly, scoring only 7 points on 2 of 8 shots, plus 5 rebounds and 13 assists.

After the game, Lawrence Frank expressed regret in a video interview: "Our players are ashamed of their performance in the tiebreaker. They are very disappointed and frustrated for losing in the first round."

Despite this, Frank still has great trust in Leonard and Harden. He told reporters: "I absolutely believe in both of them." Speaking of Leonard, Frank believes that if he stays healthy, he will bring a qualitative change to the team: "I think he will reach a higher level next year. If Leonard can participate in more games, we will be better."

Injuries have always been a concern for Leonard. Since joining the Clippers in 2019, Leonard has played in only 266 of 492 regular season games, with an attendance rate of 54%. However, since he made his season debut in January, he has played in 37 regular season games, averaging 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 49.8% and 41.1% from three-point range. In the seven playoff series, Leonard averaged 25.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, shooting 53.7% from the field and 40.5% from three-point range.

Frank then expressed his support for Harden and was positive about his contract extension: "We highly recognize James' performance this year. If he chooses to opt out of the contract, my plan is to reach a mutually beneficial new agreement with him."

Harden has a player option worth $36.4 million next season, when he will be 36 years old. Due to Leonard's long-term absence, Harden only missed two regular season games this season, averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game, shooting 41.0% from the field and 35.2% from three-point range.

However, Harden's form has declined since entering the playoffs, with only 18.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists in 7 games, a shooting percentage of 43.6% and a three-point shooting percentage of 36.4%.

Talking about the future of the Clippers, Frank added: "I'm glad that we have maintained a healthy lineup for a long time, but this does not mean that we only have one chance. We will continue to work hard, and at the same time always keep an open mind, learn from past lessons, and look for directions to improve and enhance."