After being knocked out in the first round, it’s clear that the Clippers management is left with a mess. Leonard has already signed a three-year, $152 million contract extension with the team, while Paul George insists on a max contract or something close to it. However, the Clippers are adamant about not giving George a max deal and hope to keep his salary slightly lower than Leonard’s, given his postseason performance of only averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Additionally, the future of Harden remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, the Clippers have a series of other players with expiring contracts whose futures need to be decided. With an annual salary of $5 million, it’s goodbye to the Clippers for those who missed their chance, as all that’s left for them is a minimum contract.
The future of core players like George and Harden remains unresolved, and the Clippers’ role players are also set for changes. PJ Tucker will undoubtedly exercise his player option for next season worth $11.54 million, as no one would turn down that money. However, it’s unclear if Terance Mann will receive anything above a minimum contract, and whether he’ll stay with the Clippers is anyone’s guess. Speaking of Mann, it’s undeniable that no Clippers fan wants to see him in a Clippers jersey next season, as his performance as a backup center during the playoffs was disastrous, leaving fans frustrated.
After the Clippers were eliminated, some media outlets bluntly stated that the team needs to let go of Westbrook and Mann, especially Mann. Not only did Mann make fans nervous during the regular season, but he also showed a significant decline in the playoffs. Unlike the rising star Zubac, Mann not only failed to improve but also showed a cliff-like decline compared to his previous playoff performances. Averaging 3.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 38.9% from the field and 62.5% from the free-throw line, Mann’s playoff performance could only be described as having no offense and no defense.
However, in the past season, despite being a backup center, Mann averaged 8.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game during the playoffs, with a remarkable shooting percentage of 87.5%. But this season’s playoffs saw his shooting percentage drop by nearly 50% compared to the 2022-23 season, which is a stark contrast. Describing Mann’s playoff performance as “useless” would be an understatement, as almost every time he stepped on the court, the Clippers almost collapsed, and he brought more negative effects to the team than positive ones.
No one knows what happened to Mann. After signing a $5 million contract with the Clippers this offseason, he even sacrificed some salary, rejecting higher offers from the market. However, his value plummeted after this season, and besides a minimum contract, it’s hard to imagine what kind of contract he could sign next. If Mann, as a center, didn’t have a passing master around him, resulting in a decline in his offensive efficiency, it would be understandable. But with Harden joining, Mann, like Zubac, had the opportunity to have the best season of his career, yet he wasted it.
During the regular season, Mann briefly took over Zubac’s starting position due to Zubac’s injury, getting the opportunities that originally belonged to Zubac. However, Mann failed to replicate Zubac’s success, failing to seize these easy scoring opportunities, unable to improve his stats, and his confidence did not improve either. Harden, as a passing master, usually brings out better performances from the centers he works with, but there are hardly any centers who performed poorly around Harden, and Mann has become one of the league’s jokes. His next contract, at most, will only be a minimum deal.