Many Around Clippers Looking to 'Move On' From Kawhi Leonard
The drama surrounding Kawhi Leonard has reached the point in Los Angeles where many around the Clippers are actually looking for the team to move on from the elusive, difficult, injury-prone, demanding superstar.
According to a report in the Dallas Hoops Journal, the whole Kawhi Experience over the past six years has been "a nightmare."
Multiple Clippers members are pushing to move on from Kawhi Leonard, says the report.
“‘This has been a nightmare,’ a Clippers source said about the Leonard era. ‘He’s an incredibly talented player when he’s healthy, but as everyone knows, he’s rarely healthy and his camp is just so difficult to deal with. His time here, thankfully, is coming to an end soon.‘“
As the league investigates the shocking cap circumvention scandal that was unearthed by reporter Pablo Torre, the plot thickens about what will happen next in Clipperland.
Most around the league, however, figure absolutely nothing will happen at least until after the All-Star Break, with the league's big All-Star Showcase Weekend being held at the Clippers' brand new Intuit Dome arena in February. Adam Silver certainly wouldn't want anything to soil that cash-cow of an event.
The Clippers first landed Leonard in a blockbuster free agent signing in the summer of 2019, after he had helped lead the Toronto Raptors to the NBA title. His demands that summer of the Raptors were suspicious, including some 'cap circumvention'-like asks from his infamous Uncle Dennis.
One of Kawhi's demands at that time, to trade for his buddy Paul George, was met by the Clippers. But amongst the haul they gave up for George was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Yes, that same SGA who was the NBA MVP this season and led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA championship.
Wait, wasn't that what that trade for Paul George was supposed to do for the Clippers??
In signing one massive contract after another with the team over the years, Leonard has only played in 58% of the Clippers' games, and has missed a multitude of playoff games as well. The team has only won three postseason series in those six years.
And now they'll play this season with this onerous investigation cloud hanging over them.
As the report says, many around the Clippers will be glad when his time with the team comes to an end. He still has two years to run on his current contract—pending any discipline from the NBA.
Photo: © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
