NBA: How Kawhi Move Impacts League
We’re in the end game now. Around 2:00 AM ET, Kawhi Leonard snapped his fingers and completely shifted the NBA landscape by signing with the Los Angeles Clippers for four years and $141 million and bringing star forward Paul George with him. Not only did it shock the world but everyone was completely blindsided by the calculated decision to create what may be the greatest defensive tandem since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. This marks the first time a player left a team for another after winning Finals MVP. While the Raptors and Lakers were publicly courting Kawhi, the Clippers were quietly operating in the shadows pulling off the greatest coup in NBA history. It sounds completely sinister for anything NBA related but the truth is stranger than fiction.
Jerry West is definitely Emperor Palpatine and years of excellent front office moves proves it. Jalen Rose said he was “99% sure” Leonard was staying with Toronto, while Chris Broussard and his infinite supply of sources claimed “Clippers were out of play." Ric Bucher definitively said it would be a short deal with Toronto, Cris Carter was leaning towards Toronto, Shannon Sharpe figured the Lakers were the best option for Kawhi because LeBron James and Colin Cowherd felt Leonard going to the Lakers “makes the NBA stronger” and yet a very small percentage of the mainstream media, if any, publicly and realistically did not pick the Clippers as a viable destination for Leonard. Cold takes everywhere, get your cold takes!
The fact of the matter is, no one knew what Kawhi was going to do but he was tied to the Clippers even before he was traded to Toronto but it's how the Clippers were able to act completely under the radar and bring in George that makes this whole ordeal so fascinating. According to individuals close to the situation Kawhi preferred the Clippers at the beginning of free agency but would only join if they could get a second star to pair with him. With Jimmy Butler going to Miami and Kevin Durant to Brooklyn both were out of play so Leonard focused his attention to George. Just last year George inked a four year deal to stay in OKC with Russell Westbrook but frustration mounted due to the lack of financial flexibility to bring in more pieces which led George to be ask for a trade.
Both George and Leonard wanted a chance to play at home so the pairing made sense. The reports soon came out that Kawhi and his camp changed the destination to meet up with the Lakers while he was secretly having conversations with George in Malibu to throw LA off. It was even indicated that Kawhi's team asked the Lakers to delay the Anthony Davis trade so the Clippers could buy more time to complete the trade with the Thunder. If you don't think that's the most baller move in the history of forever then something is truly wrong. Not only does Board Man get paid, Board Man gets what he wants. Lest we not forget that OKC hauled in an unprecedented amount of assets from the Clippers for George, which resulted in five future first round picks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari.
Before the trade OKC couldn’t make any real moves now they can rebuild for the future. The Clippers gave away all but the kitchen sink but the chance to step out of the Lakers shadow as the “Little brother of Los Angeles” was well worth the risk. Not only was it worth the risk but the Clippers are now the Las Vegas favorites to win a title in 2020 jumping over the Lakers in the process. The Clippers recently re-signed former first team All-NBA defense selection in Patrick Beverly and budding center Ivica Zubac, signed Mo Harkless, Rodney McGruder, all while retaining reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Landry Shamet; adding Kawhi for four years and Paul George could be good enough for a Finals run and hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy.
But after the dust has settled the beauty of it all emanates from the idea that league is perfectly balanced thanks to Thanos (I mean Kawhi). If LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi joined forces they would’ve cruised through the season in a way we may have never seen before but Kawhi had other plans, to beat the man who the rest of the league is still trying to truly dethrone. The Warriors are no longer the favorites, Durant and Kyrie Irving are in Brooklyn, Giannis in Milwaukee, the Trailblazers are better than last year, Indiana gets Victor Oladipo back, Philadelphia is one step closer, and the list goes. On paper the Clippers have the most impressive cast for a title run but remember that games still have to be played. As for now, the Clippers won free agency in a way that will go down in history.
Photo Credit: Clutch Points.
