The risk profile on next season, already trending toward the red, just got hotter for the LA Clippers.
After a devastating postseason collapse along with the crashing realization that both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can become free agents next summer, parting with Doc Rivers Monday has only increased the stakes. This is a crucial moment in franchise history.
It's the type of move that could end up being the start of a championship story and remembered as a gutsy call by owner Steve Ballmer. Or it could be seen as compounding disappointment that put the team on the road to catastrophe.