2019–20 Los Angeles Clippers season
The 2019–20 Los Angeles Clippers season was the 50th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), their 42nd season in Southern California, and their 36th season in Los Angeles. On July 5, 2019, 2-time NBA champion, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard agreed to join the Clippers, on the condition that the team trade for 6-time NBA All-Star Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Also during the offseason, they re-signed two-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection Patrick Beverley and three-time Sixth  Man of the Year award winner Lou Williams. Entering the season, many analysts expected the Clippers to contend for an NBA championship. Despite a nagging shoulder injury and "load management" policy that caused stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, respectively, to sit out multiple games, the Clippers were consistently at the top of the Western Conference standings. The Clippers improved on their 48–34 record last year after making the 8th seed in the Western Conference standings, finishing with a record of 49–23 (the equivalent of 56–26 in a full season) as the 2nd seed in the Western Conference, their highest  seeded placement in franchise history. Kawhi Leonard was named a starter for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game by fans, current players, and media, and was later named the game's MVP. Montrezl Harrell won the 2019-20 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, joining Jamal Crawford and teammate Lou Williams as one of three players to win the award as members of the Clippers. The season was suspended by the league officials following the games of March 11 after it was reported that Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. On July 5, the NBA announced a return of  the season which would involve 22 teams playing in the NBA Bubble at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Each of the remaining 22 teams will play eight seeding games to determine positioning for the NBA playoffs. Play resumed on July 30. The Clippers faced off against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. It was the first ever meeting between the two teams in the playoffs. The Clippers defeated the Mavericks in six games to win their first playoff series since 2015, advancing to the semifinals. In  Game 5 of the series, the Clippers set a franchise record for scoring 154 points in the NBA Playoffs. The 154-point mark was the third most of any team in NBA playoff history. In the Conference Semifinals against the 3rd-seeded Denver Nuggets, the Clippers took a 3–1 series lead before ultimately losing in 7 games. The Clippers failed to hold double-digit leads in all three potential closeout games. Their elimination extends their drought of failing to reach the Conference Finals to 50 years, the longest amongst the four major professional sports leagues. Following the Clippers' elimination from  the playoffs, the team was roundly mocked on social media for their failure to win the championship. The 2019–20 Clippers team has since been viewed as having one of the greatest postseason collapses in NBA history. The ensuing fallout from the Nuggets series caused Rivers to lose his position as head coach on September 28. Draft. The Clippers hold no first-round picks but holds two second-round picks. The 56th pick was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with a 2020 second round draft pick for Mfiondu Kabengele.