The ambitious plan of the LA Clippers, bringing together Kawhi Leonard and Paul George last summer, won the Executive of the Year award for the Clippers’ president Lawrence Frank.
Frank put the Clippers in a position to succeed the past offseason, but the franchise’s hopes for its first title fell apart due to chemistry issues in Orlando.
The Clippers lost in the second round to the Denver Nuggets and never came close to realizing their potential as an NBA contender.
Sam Presti was a close second choice for the voters securing a huge load of first-round picks for the next six seasons. Presti not only put his team in position for a legit rebuilding process, but brought veteran Chris Paul in OKC, as part of the Russell Westbrook trade to the Houston Rockets.
Paul led the Thunder to a playoff berth despite projections of a disappointing season for Oklahoma at the start of the year.
Heat president Pat Riley earned third place by landing Jimmy Butler, creating significant salary-cap flexibility in the Justise Winslow–Jae Crowder–Andre Iguodala trade and instilling a culture where players, like Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn, could develop and contribute effectively in the big stage.
