The Los Angeles Clippers Signed a Big Star. From Sports Illustrated.

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Jenkins’s departure comes as Sports Illustrated faces stiff financial setbacks. It has had several rounds of layoffs, and reduced the frequency of its publication to 27 issues a year, from a high of 51 as recently as 2015. Its parent company, Time Inc., was acquired by the Meredith Corporation last year, and Sports Illustrated has been on the auction block for the better part of 2018. Time magazine was bought for $190 million over the weekend, and Sports Illustrated could have a new owner in a matter of days.

Jenkins said none of that entered his decision-making process.

“I am not worried about Sports Illustrated,’’ he said. “I love the people there and loved every day I had there. No matter what was happening at Sports Illustrated, this opportunity would’ve had incredible appeal to me.”

Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ executive vice president for basketball operations, said the team was not looking to hire a journalist or fill a specific position, but wanted to hire Jenkins and build a job around him.

“This was all about Lee,’’ he said.

Jenkins will not be writing about the team for the Clippers website or acting as a scout, he said, providing instead a wide-ranging job description that lacked specifics.

“Let’s all acknowledge the fact of how incredibly talented he is and his ability to tell stories, connect the dots, highlight the personalities of our players, and what it is going to highlight about the Clipper experience,” Frank said.

Jenkins will report to Frank and Michael Winger, the general manager, and will not have any employees under his purview but will be assisted by the entire front office.

“My hope is that I learn a lot early on especially fast, and I figure out where I can help and where I fit in,” Jenkins said.

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