With the NBA Finals starting tonight, Clipper Nation is focused a little more usual as two of their free agency targets face off.
No, the LA Clippers are not in the NBA Finals this season. Go figure. But, with the Toronto Raptors hosting the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 tonight, Clipper Nation is paying a little more attention than usual.
The reason? Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard. If you haven’t been following the NBA this season (what are you doing here!?), it’s no secret that the Clippers want to land one of or both of the superstars. Both will hit unrestricted free agency this summer assuming they opt out of their contracts.
Kevin Durant (who is not playing tonight due to an injured calf) is seemingly the long-shot of the two stars. KD has been heavily linked to the New York Knicks and although he reportedly hasn’t made up his mind, the fact that he just bought a home in New York seems pretty telling.
Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard has been slated as going to Los Angeles since last summer, even after he was traded to Toronto. This isn’t to say he’s a sure thing.
The Raptors organization has done just about everything in their power to convince him to stay. Leonard has already become one of the best players in Raptors’ history by leading them to their first Finals appearance. The team showed willingness to gamble on both him and other pieces to help him this season. Leonard knocked down the biggest shot in franchise history against the Philadelphia 76ers and Raptors’ fans made sure he knew how much they loved him for it. The list goes on and on.
Although many in the media say that both players have already made up their mind regarding the summer, it’s hard to believe that a championship series won’t have some impact. For Leonard specifically, a championship win as a Raptor would cement him as a hero for not only Toronto, but the whole country of Canada. Couple that with the fact that the Raptors can offer him more money than the Clippers, and it’s tough to see him leave.
On the flip side, a devastating loss to Golden State could leave him with the mentality of having unfinished business. It will be a tough read regardless.
Clipper Nation will have their eyes on the Finals and look for any nugget of information on what Durant and Leonard have planned for this summer. There might not be anything of interest that comes out of it, but it doesn’t hurt to look.