Insider Shams Charania believes Kawhi Leonard may favor the LA Clippers now that LeBron James is a Laker.
Shams Charania, NBA Insider for Yahoo Sports, believes the LA Clippers may have a better shot at landing superstar free agent Kawhi Leonard now that LeBron James has joined the Los Angeles Lakers.
Charania appeared on The Herd with Colin Cowherd today and spoke about Leonard’s mindset. Knicks Nation on Twitter was the first to transcribe Charania’s comments, which are as follows (the quote begins around the 28-minute mark):
"“I dont think Kawhi is jumping for joy now that LeBron is a Laker. If anything, he’ll be more open to joining the Clippers.”"
This is extremely significant, as the general belief is that Leonard wants to play for the Lakers. However, the Clippers are an LA-based team, Leonard’s preferred destination.
The timing of Leonard’s arrival, if he does at all, is still unknown. We know that LA will attempt to pursue him next summer, assuming he’s available. They’ll likely have two max slots available going into the 2019-2020 NBA season. However, LA is still open to trading for Leonard this summer, and could still make something happen.
ESPN Sources: Los Angeles Clippers haven’t abandoned pursuit of acquiring San Antonio Spurs’ All-Star Kawhi Leonard. He remains a high offseason priority for LAC.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2018
League executives believe Leonard may sit out next season as well if he doesn’t get to LA this summer, increasing the pressure on San Antonio’s front office to finalize a deal.
If Leonard does force a trade to the Clippers, LA will arguably have the league’s most adept defense. Patrick Beverley, Avery Bradley, and Leonard are all among the best defenders at their position in the NBA. More importantly, Leonard is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner. Rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would round out a strong defensive bench unit, too.
It would be an extremely risky move in the long-term, but if the Clippers plan to stay relevant for the 2018-2019 NBA season, acquiring Leonard may remain a priority.