After two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, unable to win the NBA championship, Kawhi Leonard’s future with the team is up in the air, according to recent reports.
There was no doubt that the 2x NBA champion was staying put in Los Angeles in prior months, but that changed. After the Clippers were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by the Phoenix Suns, several questions were raised for the team, especially about Kawhi and Paul George’s future.
The Klaw reportedly isn’t sure about staying with the team, and rival organizations are already working to lure him away from Los Angeles. According to Marc Stein (via John Ledesma), three teams are getting ready to make a move for Leonard.
“The Mavs will try to do everything they can to get Kawhi Leonard. The Knicks and the Heat will try as well. The situation with Kawhi is no longer a safe assumption he’s staying with the Clippers.”
“The Mavs will try to do everything they can to get Kawhi Leonard. The Knicks and the Heat will try as well. The situation with Kawhi is no longer a safe assumption he’s staying with the Clippers.” –@TheSteinLine
— John Ledesma (@JohnnyNBA) July 23, 2021
It’d be interesting to know why Kawhi doesn’t feel so sure about the Clippers now. Plenty of people believe he was the missing piece for them to play in the NBA Finals this season. Paul George carried the team alongside Reggie Jackson and Terance Mann in Kawhi’s absence, which made fans dreamed about the team’s chances next year.
Nevertheless, as Skip Bayless recently claimed, Kawhi might not be happy with the Clippers’ medical staff, just like he wasn’t with the San Antonio Spurs. If this is true, it is a complex situation for the organization, but it’s still hard to imagine Kawhi leaving after he expressed his desire to return home.
These three teams have been linked with the Klaw in the past, so it’s not surprising that they’re keeping tabs on the player’s situation. This summer could be an interesting one for the Clippers. They gave up a lot to bring Kawhi to the Staples Center, and seeing him leaving for nothing would be a major blow.
