Last season, the Los Angeles Clippers became a legitimate force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference with the addition of superstar point guard Chris Paul and some key role players.

Before Lob City officially came to town with Paul added into the mix, the Clippers were a young team on the rise with Blake Griffin as the face of the franchise. Even with Griffin paired with a few role players, the “other” team in Los Angeles, as they had been labeled, was a decent team in the West with a promising future.

Once the blockbuster trade was made for Paul, the Clippers were able to attract free agents Chauncey Billups, Kenyon Martin and Caron Butler. As a result, Los Angeles was relevant for two teams rather than the powerhouse Lakers.

In an effort to avoid another rebuilding process, the Clippers have locked up Griffin to a five-year contract extension worth $95 million. This move was guaranteed to be made by Los Angeles over the off-season once Griffin was eligible. There was no way the Clippers’ front office were letting Griffin slip through their fingers and the up-and-coming forward had no intentions of going anywhere else.

With that being said, the new deal was quickly made by the two sides and Griffin will remain in Los Angeles over the next half-decade.

The next order of business will be giving Paul the same extension. Unfortunately, Paul was only eligible for a three-year deal and was better off waiting until next summer when he can ink a five-year deal similar to Griffin’s.

It’ll be interesting to see if Paul can stay healthy over the course of next season. If he suffers any injury problems, the Clippers may be thinking twice about signing Paul to a five-year deal.

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