With Kawhi Leonard leading the Toronto Raptors to the Finals, are fans giving up hope of him playing for the LA Clippers next season?
A sigh of collective woes engulfed the Clipper fan collective when Kawhi Leonard’s unlikely clutch dagger sealed with fate of the Toronto Raptors into the Eastern Conference Finals. This iconic moment was the first time in NBA history that a buzzer-beating shot determined the winner of a seven game playoff season. If this act of heroism demonstrated one truth about Leonard’s relationship with the city of Toronto, it was this…
They absolutely love him.
Even though Leonard did not go there as a free agent, Toronto has given him the superstar treatment, and his transcendent performances in the playoffs only continue and enhance the affection he’s receiving from the city he’s adopted this season. Clipper fans once again felt a glimmer of hope when the Bucks took a commanding 2-0 series lead over the underdog number 2 seed – hoping that a quick, diminishing sweep would lessen the importance of the Raptors’ playoff run. Should Leonard maybe lack confidence in the direction the Raptors are going, he could head back home to Los Angeles to play for the Clippers and their top front office, coaches, and developing young talent.
Just a week later, the picture is now different. The Raptors have clinched their first Eastern Conference Championship, winning 4 consecutive games against the boys in green. Even more impressive is the fact that, in some of those games, they rallied back after facing double-digit deficits. The North now looks to continue their hot streak against the reigning champions, as they hope to upset the Warriors pursuit of a three-peat.
This is surely a very exciting moment to be Raptors fan, but that’s not stopping local superfans from thinking into next year. Some restaurant owners have offered Leonard free meals for life if he decides to re-sign. Simon Mass (CEO of The Condo Store Inc) has reportedly offered Leonard a multi-million dollar mansion free of charge in exchange for his club loyalty.
This all seems remarkably impressive next to other efforts around the league -one of them being Food Network star Guy Fieri offering Kevin Durant an “inspiration dinner” to help him stay in the Bay Area next season.
More recently, Durant himself has actually been more linked to the Clippers than Leonard. Kevin Durant’s former teammate Kendrick Perkins has expressed his belief in the likelihood of the Clippers signing the MVP.
The attention on Durant has recently been fueled by Rich Kleiman (his agent) saying that the superstar is, contrary to reports, 100% undecided where he’s going to end up.
Given this frenzy of information, it’s important Clipper fans don’t get overly excited – history has shown that teams that get the most attention regarding free agents don’t usually get all the rewards.
Secondly, try to keep a perspective. All that matters is what happens in July. Kawhi Leonard could win a title and still jump ship to the Clippers. Similarly, he can lose in the finals and still decide to leave. Though it would sting, he could win/lose and still decide Toronto is where his legacy will be.
Regarding Durant, he was once reportedly “very impressed” by the Clippers pitch during free agency back in 2016. Who’s to say the Clips haven’t been in the back of his mind since then? Even if he has the utmost respect for what the Clippers are building in LA, he could find New York better for business and his personal life. There are simply too many factors in play here.
For the sake of our own health, let’s take a collective deep breath and wait until the offseason.