NBA Rumors: Doc Rivers Returning, Gets One Year Lifeline With Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers are the talk of the town and their recent collapse to the Denver Nuggets will go down as another red flag for head coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers. Regardless, the Clips are keeping the faith in the 58-year-old coach although his tenure may depend on what happens next season.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Rivers will be returning for the Clippers next season despite blowing a 3-1 lead. It was the third time in Rivers’ coaching career that he wasted series advantages. He held on in 2003 when he was still with the Orlando Magic. There was also that 2015 run with the Clippers that also went to waste.

But Rivers faces more issues this coming NBA season. One is that both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be in their final year, meaning they could be gone by next offseason. Should the Clippers fail in their quest for an NBA title anew, there is a possibility that all three may be gone.

Tied up to that, there is growing friction from within the team. Rivers has been hit for playing favorites, something that has not been sitting well with other players. One instance includes the managed minutes of Kawhi Leonard which other players were not getting. But the drama behind it all may have just reached a tipping point during game 2 of the Clippers series with the Denver Nuggets.

Montrezl Harrell, who will be an unrestricted free agent, had a spat with Paul George during the game. It all stemmed from an errant pass that Harrell made. George blamed the 26-year-old and Harrell would not have any of it. He ended up saying: “You're always right. Nobody can tell you nothing.”

George tried to pacify things and the team tried to cover it up by clapping after the huddle. But that issue remains and is something that Rivers will need to address as well.

Harrell is unhappy and even said at some point that the Clippers are not a great team, The Athletic reported. There is a big possibility he may take his act elsewhere and play for another team next season.

Hence, odds are stacked on Rivers and the Clippers. There will be player movement with George and Leonard likely to remain. So the question is who else will still be around for Los Angeles next season?