Definition of crazy: Clippers planning to get the band back together

Perhaps no team was more all-in to try and win in the 2023-24 NBA season than the Los Angeles Clippers, who sacrificed even more of their future to acquire James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Adding Harden to a team that already had Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on it sounded good, and looked good for a while, but in the end, it simply didn't work. The Clippers lost in the first round of the NBA Playoffs to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. This is their second straight first-round exit. They haven't won a postseason series since making the Western Conference Finals in the 2020-21 campaign.

Despite the fact that this core continues to come up short, the Clippers are reportedly hoping to run it back according to President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank.

Clippers plan to run it back is the definition of insanity

"We'd like to be able to bring back and retain Paul and James," Frank said Monday. "We're hopeful we can, but also understand and respect the fact that they're free agents. Paul has a decision with his option. James will be an unrestricted free agent, so our intent is to bring him back, but also realize that they're elite players and they'll have choices."

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. That's what the Clippers are doing by hoping that the duo of Leonard and George can lead them to glory this time. It hasn't happened in their five years together, and there's little reason to expect it to happen in the future. Sure, they've only had one run with Harden, but did he look like a player who can put them over the top?

Injury concerns with all three of these stars are real, and declining play in the postseason from George and Harden has been a theme in their careers.

As bad as this decision to try and run it back looks, the Clippers don't really have another option here. They don't own their first-round pick until 2030, so tanking isn't an option. They already have Leonard under contract through 2026-27. You might as well try and win, right?

It'll get even tougher for the Clippers to improve as assuming George and Harden return on massive deals, they'll likely be a second-apron team. That hampers their flexibility a ton.

They're almost certainly just going to run it back with the team that they just lost in the first round yet again with just their key players being one year older. It's not going to work. Even with that, it's hard to get on them too much. There isn't another viable option. They have no assets and don't own their picks. It's a brutal spot to be in.