The Los Angeles Clippers are no longer building their organization around Kawhi Leonard. ESPN's Baxter Holmes wrote a piece detailing the relationship between the Clippers and Kawhi, with an interesting note at the end. According to a former staffer, the team is "done" building around Kawhi, something the 34-year-old is aware of.
There are a lot of questions surrounding Kawhi and Los Angeles right now that began a couple of weeks ago when Pablo Torre reported that the Clippers circumvented the salary cap for Kawhi through an environmental firm that has since gone bankrupt.
Even before that report broke, there were questions about Kawhi's health and if LA could make a deep playoff run with him at the helm. The latest allegations, however, are a whole different ballgame, as the Clippers could be in deep trouble if the league discovers that the organization circumvented the salary cap.
Regardless of what the investigation shows, it seems clear that Los Angeles is done constructing its roster around Kawhi. Holmes wrote that "multiple GMs and league executives said they expect Leonard to play out his contract with the Clippers, which is set to end after the 2026-27 season."
The league could go as far as to void Kawhi's contract, but if that will happen is to be determined.
Clippers are reportedly done building around Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles signed Leonard in 2019, while simultaneously trading for Paul George, a deal that Kawhi's camp said was necessary for the forward to sign with the Clippers. LA thought it would result in a championship, but little did the front office know that it would, but not for the Clippers.
Trading now-superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Thunder along with a haul of picks led to OKC winning the title this past June. The Thunder aren't done yet, either.
LA could've built around Gilgeous-Alexander, but its chance to do so flew out the window long ago. Where can the Clippers turn to now? That's the million-dollar question.
As Holmes noted, Los Angeles doesn't control its first-round picks for the next four years, so the Clippers can't look to build through the draft with young talent. They can't trade Kawhi and expect anything valuable in return, especially not during the ongoing investigation. They let George walk for nothing last summer after not giving him the contract he wanted.
Steve Ballmer and Los Angeles only thought that landing Kawhi and George would put the organization on the right track, not derail it even further. The Clippers have a lot more to worry about now than Kawhi staying healthy, too. They're in an inenviable position; one of their own making.