The end of the Los Angeles Clippers’ season has become the start of a high-stakes battle with the league office itself. After their season ended, attention shifted entirely to controversy. The league is investigating the franchise allegedly making under-the-table payments to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. The situation remains complicated. The league is still inspecting, even months after the allegations. However, the Clippers aren’t worried at all.

“I can’t comment on the investigation, but I will stand by what I said up here in September, October, whenever it was. We believe and we’re very confident that we’re on the right side of this,” said the Clippers’ Lawrence Frank.

Kawhi Leonard’s future remains at the crux of the discussions. The investigation is one side of it. Reports suggested the team is done building around ‘The Klaw’. The trades to move away from veterans James Harden and Ivica Zubac supported those claims. But Lawrence Frank made the Clippers’ aspirations very clear.

“Our plan is to win with Kawhi. We obviously have shown as an organization that we want to continue and are driven to win. So, at the appropriate time, we will sit down with Kawhi and, very similar to 2024, lay out our plan, and if our goals are aligned, then we would like to win with Kawhi,” he said.

The Clippers have the opportunity to discuss an extension with Leonard over the summer. The most they can offer is a two-year $126.1 million deal. With health issues, that may have been doubtful. But at 35, Kawhi Leonard just played one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 27.9 points and 1.9 steals per game. He has also played in over 65 games in two of the last three seasons.

And the case with Aspiration isn’t a holdup either. According to the latest update, Wachtell Lipton, the firm hired to lead the investigation, is still conducting interviews. And with the Clippers’ confidence, even if the case drags on, there’s no reason to delay Leonard’s extension. Hence, it seems very likely that the Clippers will trust in their recently constructed core and build off their late-season success.

The team ended the season on a 36-19 run, ranking fourth in a highly competitive West. Lawrence Frank doesn’t see any urgency to make changes. That includes Ty Lue.

Ty Lue is set for a long future with the Clippers

Lawrence Frank is drawing inspiration from franchises who thrived with continuity. The Spurs never moved on from Gregg Popovich and are among the most successful teams in the league. The Warriors built a dynasty by keeping Steve Kerr at the helm. Frank wants to see the Clippers adopt that model. And he strongly believes Ty Lue is the right coach to reach the pinnacle.

“I mean Ty not being the coach was never, ever, ever a consideration. Even at our lowest point, when we were 6-21, there never ever was any conversation of Ty not being the coach. Ty’s going to be the coach here for a long, long time,” said the Clippers’ President of Basketball Operations.

Even when losing on purpose seemed practical, Ty Lue set the culture. He prioritized winning, sparking an inspired run. The Clippers ended the season two games over .500 after winning just six of their first 27 games. He’s survived the horrid situation with Chris Paul and a major roster shake-up. Despite those changes around him, Lue’s coaching philosophy and intent never changed.

He turned the Clippers into a well-oiled machine that thrives on both sides of the floor. Lue also managed to get the most out of Kawhi Leonard. That’s a coach who doesn’t make demands, but meets expectations no matter what the team looks like. With a long-term project in sight, the 2016 championship-winning head coach has earned the Clippers’ trust over his six seasons with the Clippers.

The only drawback is the lack of playoff success. However, Lue has had to deal with an injury-riddled Kawhi Leonard for most of his tenure. With a healthy cornerstone, he turned things around for the Clippers. His determination to compete and play to win saw the team earn a shot at the playoffs against all odds. That’s where Frank and the Clippers’ trust lies.

They don’t want to change anything. The Clippers feel they just need time to grow as a team and return stronger next season. And they are not backing away from that strategy any time soon, it seems.