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What's the story?
With the rest of the elite free agents making their respective decisions public moments after free agency opened, the spotlight was shining on Kawhi Leonard as the 2019 NBA Finals MVP stalled on his next move. It was finally reported earlier today that The Klaw would be joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
However, the biggest shocker on the night is the news of OKC Thunder trading Paul George to the Clippers after the MVP award finalist apparently requested a trade.
In case you didn't know...
Several teams were vying for the signature of free agent Kawhi Leonard. He was expected to be a one-year rental for the Toronto Raptors when they initially traded for him. However, the fact that the Raptors went on to win the championship complicated things for the 2-time Defensive Player of the Year.
At one instance, he was linked with a move to his hometown of Los Angeles with both the Clippers and the Lakers in the running. A return to Toronto couldn't be ruled out either.
The heart of the matter
Many reports claimed the Lakers to be the favorites in the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes but it is their city rivals Clippers who are having the last laugh. He will be signing a 4-year $142 million max deal. However, the biggest kicker is the fact that Kawhi had been recruiting Paul George all this while as per reports from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Clippers have landed Paul George via a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder. In return, the Thunder receive Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, a protected first-round pick, four unprotected first-round picks, and two pick swaps.
Delving deeper into the ground-breaking trade, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that there was an apparent discontent between OKC stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Rival teams were aware of the situation and Clippers made the most of it.
What's next?
The battle for supremacy in Los Angeles just got much more intense! I for one simply cannot wait for next season to see how the Clippers fare, given the fact that they now boast of probably the two best two-way players in the league. PG13 and Kawhi teaming up against LeBron James and Anthony Davis will bode well for prime time TV.
On the other hand, one can't help but notice how badly this trade will hurt the Thunder. With Russell Westbrook still on the roster, OKC still remains a playoff team. However, barring some miraculous front office efforts from Sam Presti and Co., the Thunder are looking like a team bound for yet another first-round exit from the playoffs.
Guess the Lakers players!
