After leading the team to a franchise-high 56 wins, the L.A. Clippers have fired Coach Vinny Del Negro, ESPN.com reported.
The Clippers opted not to offer Del Negro a new deal after they were bounced in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the lower-seeded Memphis Grizzlies, who have since advanced to the Western Conference Finals where only the San Antonio Spurs stand in the way of that franchise’s first trip to the NBA Finals.
Del Negro, whose contract officially expires on June 30, led the Clippers to a 128-102 mark in his three seasons, including earning playoff berths the last two years. He owns a career mark of 210-184.
In L.A., the biggest strike against Del Negro may have been his up-and-down relationship with star point guard Chris Paul. A free-agent at the end of the season, ESPN previously reported that owner Donald Sterling was considering cutting ties with Del Negro in hopes of luring back Paul.
To make that happen, the Clips may yet have some heavy lifting to do. Late Tuesday, ESPN reported Paul and fellow free-agent Dwight Howard were considering jumping to Atlanta to form the league’s latest Dream Team like tandem.
Howard, 27, is a native of Atlanta and he and Paul have long shared a close relationship.
https://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/9298675/vinny-del-negro-los-angeles-clippers-coach-according-sources
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