“It’s been a great 5 seasons with this organization and I’m excited to see where it goes from here”, Terance Mann was ecstatic after receiving a 3-year, $47 million contract extension from the LA Clippers back in September. Given that the player was considered a trade prospect for quite a while, the LA franchise putting their faith by extending his veteran contract may have come as a surprise to many. Unfortunately, if the past few games have been any indication, then Mann has not been too successful in making a case for why he deserved such a prominent deal.

Over the last 11 games, the 28-year-old guard has only averaged 5 points, accompanied by just 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Mann’s shooting attempts have been low, and it doesn’t help that his field goal percentage stands at 37.5%, while his shooting from beyond the arc is even lower at 20%.

Suffice it to say, analysts may not have expected such stats from the guard, especially when the Clippers have extended his time with such an enormous deal. After all, there would be no other reason for fans to make a case against the player.

According to reports, especially one put forward by ‘The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Philadelphia 76ers attempted to include Mann in any James Harden trade negotiations. However, the Clippers reportedly refused the same. No other trade discussion regarding the player seemed to have taken place as well. When handing out the extension deal to him, the Clippers officials provided their reasoning.

They stated, “We place tremendous value on the competitiveness, consistency, durability and hard work that T Mann continues to demonstrate year after year.” While the player may bring with him qualities like durability and hard work, the same is unfortunately yet to yield memorable results during the ongoing NBA season.

How have NBA fans reacted to Terance Mann’s abysmal performance this season?

One social media user highlighted his disappointment by stating, “Not trading Mann this summer was brutal, giving him an above-market extension was just unforgivable. Really hindered this current team and will hurt them going forward. Just a miss the clippers couldn’t afford in their situation.”

This user carved a path with his take, and it didn’t take long for the others to follow it. Replying to his post, another social media user relished the fact that his supposed ‘prediction’ seems to have come true. This may have caused him to write “They called me a hater for saying that contract was bad.”

Going into the 2024-25 season, the LA Clippers were in a somewhat precarious situation. Paul George had departed to join the Philadelphia 76ers, while Kawhi Leonard’s injury placed his availability in doubt. In light of this, the franchise had to do its part in retaining its current players. This may or may not have compelled them to give Mann the extension.

According to a report by NBC Sports, some Clippers fans on social media considered the player’s compensation to be “overpay.” However, the team only took Mann in around the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which they would consider going forward, under a rising salary cap. Furthermore, Mann’s pay raise wouldn’t arrive until the next season.

One user took a dig at Terance Mann’s performances. He simply wrote, “He (Mann) ain’t take the leap Law was alluding to. It’s really been Norm powell who went up multiple levels.” This remark was a reference to Norman Powell. If this recent performance is any indication, then yes, he has certainly climbed up quite a few levels.

It was only last season when Powell averaged 13.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. Now, in the last 11 games, that same average has gone up to 26 points! On top of that, Powell has accompanied the high scoring with 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Today, he stands as the highest scorer for the Clippers, even above James Harden and Ivica Zubac. However, due to a 5-year, $90 million contract, Powell is certainly earning what he is rightfully owed.

Another social media user was of the opinion that Terance Mann won’t stay with the LA Clippers for long. In fact, he believed, “Mann for one of the nets wings DFS/Cam (preferably DFS) would elevate this team on both ends, either way he’s gotta be traded for a better player by the deadline.”

According to Terance Mann’s contract, his upcoming extension amount is under the guaranteed category. However, the same does not guarantee his place with the Clippers for the full 3 years. In fact, the player can even be traded prior to the February 2025 deadline. If the guard continues at his current pace, then that day may arrive sooner than later.

Another individual called for a change to the starting lineup. He went ahead and wrote, “Coffey should be the starter.” Both Amir Coffey and Terance Mann joined the LA Clippers in 2019. While the latter has started in over 167 games, the former has only started in 54. Despite this, he holds a better scoring average at the moment: 9.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game this season. Ironically, Coffey only holds a 3-year, $11 million contract.

Overall, the majority of reactions were united in making a case against Terance Mann. The 2024-25 season is still in its early stages. Therefore, the player still has time to make a case for why he deserves his extension. However, he has to move quickly, since he is already losing the confidence of some fans.