Clippers Address Offseason Scandals, Apologize to Fans
Interim president Trent Redden offers remorse for salary cap violations that led to significant penalties.
The Los Angeles Clippers acknowledged their recent offseason transgressions and offered apologies to their fanbase during media day, as the team prepares for the upcoming season.
Interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden opened the event by directly addressing the team's fans. "Our fans deserve to hear from us before this, and for that we’re sorry," Redden said. "We’ve been listening to the thoughts, the concerns, and feeling the emotions of our fan base. They mean everything to us. ... We hope to fulfill our promises to them, to build their trust and move forward through this time."
Redden expressed a belief in the team's resilience, stating, "This franchise often has done its best work with its back against the wall … We hope to represent our fans the same way we always have in dark times, by coming out fighting."
This summer marked a difficult period for the Clippers after the NBA penalized the team for violating salary cap circumvention rules. The league stripped the Clippers of five future first-round draft picks and imposed a $30 million fine. Additionally, owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension, and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months.
The team also parted ways with player Kawhi Leonard, who was traded after paying a $700,000 fine related to his involvement in circumventing the salary cap.
Despite the fallout from the scandal, head coach Ty Lue noted the team's morale remains strong. "It’s been difficult," Lue admitted. "But I give our players a lot of credit … the leadership is great [and] the morale is great, even in these tough situations. That’s good to see, when you have your players coming in every day, giving everything they have; a lot of teams don’t have that."
The Clippers are also contending with several player injuries heading into training camp, with Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal, Jordan Miller, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser sidelined. However, Niederhauser is reportedly progressing well.
Newcomer Rui Hachimura commented on the team's reputation, saying, "One thing everyone says about the Clippers is how well they take care of players."