With countless signings and trades occurring at the most odd times of the day, like Luka Doncic's when half of the world was sound asleep, fans of the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers were refreshing their social media feeds, constantly, on multiple news platforms, to be the first ones to find out where Kawhi Leonard was headed in 2019.
His final three choices were the Toronto Raptors, with whom he had just won a championship, and both teams residing in Los Angeles. Each party had something unique to offer him, and Leonard was inevitably going to sign a massive wire to his checking account, as the run he displayed with the Raptors was generational.
Furthermore, Leonard took his time, rightfully so, as he was the most notable free agent in the 2019 offseason and a top-three player in the world, and eventually signed a three-year, $103 million contract with the Clippers.
His decision to choose the Clippers to merge talents with Paul George affected the Raptors, of course, but completely ruined the Lakers' free agency dreams, as Los Angeles had thought their chances were the highest to land Leonard, given his prominent history and championship-embedded future.
Seven summers following 2019, equating to 2026, the Clippers will be able to play spoiler again, tarnishing what the Lakers dream of surrounding Doncic with.
With a light cap room, the LA Clippers have the opportunity to affect their cross-town rivalry, similar to how they have done before
Coincidentally, the timelines of the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers have been oddly identical. In 2019, Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James, two top-five players in the NBA joined the same city, and both teams have since ruled the Western Conference as some of the winningest franchises.
In fact, it is now regarded as rare for them not to be in the playoff race, as they possess the talent backed by a robust sports market that keeps them in business and attracts top-tier talent worldwide.
Moreover, in the offseasons of 2026 and more prominently in 2027, the Clippers and Lakers will have a relatively empty payroll, allowing them to sign whoever checks off the crucial and detailed boxes and is interested in moving to Los Angeles.
Yet, the mind of Lawrence Frank is focused on chess, and he would not want his rival in the Lakers to gain strength. Hence, he could ruin their dreams by using the Clippers' cap space on players they are plotting to acquire.