Kawhi Leonard will headline the list of free agents this summer but, unlike what happened a couple of years ago, he’s not likely going to be a highly-coveted asset around the league.
That’s not because his value has gone down or anything like that, but because he’s strongly expected to come back to the Los Angeles Clippers and run it back with Paul George next season, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
“All five of the NBA executives polled believe Leonard will ultimately remain with the Clippers after his free agency concludes and look to run it back with George and compete for another shot at the championship,” starts the report.
“I figure they have to make some changes and run it back with those two guys,” one NBA executive told HoopsHype. “You’ve got to give it another chance, I think. They just hired Ty Lue for this group. It wasn’t a normal season. You’ve got to give it a normal season a chance first, I’d think. They (Leonard and George) have the talent and want to be in LA, so I bet things around them move, but they are solid,” a second NBA executive told HoopsHype,” Scotto concluded.
This doesn’t come as a surprise as the Clippers have gone to great lengths to keep Kawhi Leonard pleased. Moreover, they had a strong shot to make it to the NBA Finals this season but Leonard’s injury took a toll on their chances.
The Clippers looked way better with Tyronn Lue at the helm and they’ll only improve this summer if they make a couple of moves. Also, after all they gave away to bring Leonard and George on board, Steve Ballmer must be ecstatic to know that his star is coming back.
