Steve Ballmer expects Clippers to contend despite losing Paul George - ESPN

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Standing inside the LA Clippers' new state of the art Intuit Dome, team owner Steve Ballmer said he «hated» seeing Paul George leave, but made it clear he believes the retooled roster surrounding Kawhi Leonard and James Harden can contend this season.

Ballmer — who gave reporters a final preview of the Clippers' new home and the first glimpse of the double-sided halo display called «The Halo Board» — said he likes the club's new roster. Ballmer believes the Clippers will be very competitive even without George and fan favorite Russell Westbrook.

«I love Paul,» Ballmer said. «Let's start with Paul as a human being. Paul is a great human being and I've really enjoyed my opportunity to get to know Paul's family. So on a personal level, I hated it. I hated it.

»From a basketball perspective, Paul is a fantastic player, future Hall of Famer. But we knew we needed to continue to get better. And with the new CBA, what tools, what flexibility [can be restricted], we made Paul what I consider a great offer. But it was a great offer in terms of us thinking about how to win championships. It wasn't what Paul wanted."

George signed a four-year, $212 million max deal with the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this month.

George said on his «Podcast P with Paul George» that the Clippers started negotiations with a low offer before inching their way up in talks during the season. He said he would have taken the same three-year, $150 million extension that Leonard signed in January. But when George said the Clippers offered him the same deal this summer once he became a free agent, he wanted a no-trade clause attached since the team wasn't willing to offer the max. The Clippers were not willing to give a no-trade clause.

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