Steve Ballmer discussed the potential of changing the brand identity of the Los Angeles Clippers ahead of their potential move into a new arena in 2024, calling the opportunity a "once-in-a-lifetime chance."

Ballmer did not rule out changing the logo, the colors, or even the team name in the buildup to the Clippers moving into a new arena. 

“We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to really step our identity up another level. I don’t anticipate making a change, but we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that is the kind of thing you somehow do in consultation with your fans," said Ballmer.

Ballmer also addressed his desire to create a more immersive viewing experience for fans, focusing on digitally streaming Clippers game - though Ballmer would need to get around the current TV deal limiting streaming capabilities. 

“I want to at least try to make digital technology a vehicle for pushing the sports viewing experience forward. If that’s not part of a relationship we can have with our partner — because most of the partners want digital rights in addition to cable rights — that to me is an issue.”

The Los Angeles Clippers signed Derrick Walton and Johnathan Motley.

Motley returns to the Clippers on a two-way deal.

Walton signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the team. 

The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers opened with the highest win totals for next season at Caesars Sportsbook.

The Bucks opened at 57 wins, with the Sixers in second place in the East at 54.5 wins.

The Clippers opened at 55.5 wins to lead the West, followed by the Jazz at 52.5 wins.

Nearly six times the money has been bet on the Lakers to win the 2019/20 title than any other team at Caesars. The Lakers opened at 51.5 wins. 

"I think the Clippers should be the favorite but sometimes you have a better number on teams on the basis of liability, which is the case with the Lakers," said Caesars oddsmaker Alan Berg.

Sam Presti refuted the suggestion made by Paul George that this offseason's trade was "mutual."

"I think the world of PG. I think everybody knows that," Presti said. "I know that he had used the term 'mutual.' I wouldn't necessarily agree with that because that would infer that we were wanting to trade Paul George, which I think most people would agree that that probably wasn't on the top of our offseason priority list.

"But I would say that it was not adversarial at all, and I also fully respect the way that it was handled. And the fact that we were able to make it work in a way that benefited the franchise made it something that we could do."

George requested a trade from the Thunder after the start of free agency and he was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers.

"The players have the freedom to be able to talk and recruit, and there's nothing limiting that, and that obviously changed the game for us," Presti said. "But I feel really good about the fact that we were able to make it work for everybody and figure out a solution, because based on just looking down the runway, we were probably going to be faced with that scenario probably after the following season. He would have had one year left on his contract at that point in time, and although we may have had more time to plan, I don't think we were going to be in a position to be able to recoup the value that we were able to in that particular situation."

Steve Ballmer unveiled a proposal for a new basketball arena for the Los Angeles Clippers. The proposed stadium will be located on 26 acres in Inglewood and seat 18,500 fans. 

"I want it to be beautiful. But I want it to be about basketball. I want it to be comfortable. But I want it to be about basketball," Ballmer told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. 

Ballmer is confident that the stadium will get built despite a lawsuit filed by Madison Square Garden, which owns The Forum in Inglewood.

Ballmer added that he took inspiration from other NBA teams in the type of intensity he wants to create in the new arena.

"I want it to be a noisy building. I really want that kind of energy; think Oracle [Arena] has been that way, Utah, Portland has got good energy...I think that we can get real noise, real energy in the building."

Doc Rivers compared the upcoming challenge of coaching Kawhi Leonard and Paul George with the "Lob City" era, saying that he could never get his previous group to understand that it was their time to win.

"I view this as another opportunity to win it. And let's be honest: You don't have a lot of opportunities to actually win it. When you have that, you take advantage of it...I never felt like I could get that group [the Lob City group] to understand that this was their time, the urgency of it. When we beat Golden State [in the 2013-14 playoffs], that following year, Golden State decided this was their time. I don't think we decided that. We just showed up and wanted to try to win. But that's not enough," said Rivers.

Rivers added that the current Clippers squad made him feel like a college coach trying to win with a group a new recruits. 

"This group is new. This is our creation. I feel like that college coach, when you first get the job and you take all the recruits that are there and try to win with them. And then you get your recruits. That's how I feel."

Kawhi Leonard said he was "very close" to signing with the Los Angeles Lakers or Toronto Raptors.

The situation changed for Leonard when they were able to trade for Paul George.

"I was very close. Real close," Leonard said. "But when (the Clippers) presented the opportunity of playing with Paul (George) it was easy, it was a yes. I said let's get it going."

Leonard also spoke of how excited he is to play with George.

"This is probably going to be my first time playing with an elite player on his level around the same age as me," Leonard said. "Same talent. I'm excited."

Paul George called it "destiny" for him to eventually team up with Kawhi Leonard.

The Indiana Pacers drafted Leonard in 2011 and traded him to the San Antonio Spurs for George Hill.

"I remember I was in Indy when we drafted Kawhi," George said. "I was a little confused by it because I was the 2-guard and Kawhi was the same position and I was a bit nervous for the competition that was coming.

"But fast-forward, knowing that the player I am and the player he developed into, I wish we would have kept that pick and we could have [grown] together. ... It seems like this was destiny that we were supposed to play together."

The NBA is investigating whether improper inducements were offered to players to circumvent the salary cap this offseason.

The issue was raised by multiple team owners during the NBA's board of governors.

There were also multiple reports this month suggesting that Kawhi Leonard’s representatives, in arranging his blockbuster move from the Toronto Raptors to the Los Angeles Clippers, had asked for perks that would violate the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

Stephen A. Smith said Dennis Robertson had asked other teams for houses, planes and guaranteed sponsorship money. Smith added, “I have no idea whether this is true or not.” 

In another report, The Sports Network in Canada said Robertson had asked for “things players don’t generally ask for in standard contract negotiations.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves were fined $3.5 million and penalized five first round picks due to under-the-table deals they signed with Joe Smith.

It is "not accurate" that Kawhi Leonard recruited Paul George to demand a trade to join the Los Angeles Clippers, a source tells Shams Charania of The Athletic.

George had interest in playing in Los Angeles in 2017, but was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and then re-signed with the franchise in 2018.

George sensed joining Leonard with the Clippers was a special opportunity.

George was on board with the move after speaking with Leonard.