The LA Clippers need to be headed in one direction, and one direction only: forward. However, a pathway to move in the opposite direction would be to give Kawhi Leonard, who is on the cusp of turning 35, a lucrative extension, as ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported the Clippers intend to do over the summer.
While he most definitely deserves it following the best offensive season of his veteran career, the landing of the fifth overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft contradicts timelines with securing Leonard a future in the area he was raised in.
The best bet for the Clippers is to simply trade him. That’s definitely easier said than done, but the two-time champion’s value is at its highest at the moment, and if they place him on the block, teams will gladly pay valuable assets to employ his services for next season and potentially beyond.
Extending Kawhi Leonard would have everyone and their mother confused
If the lottery didn’t go how the LA Clippers planned, and they didn’t get lucky with the odds falling in their favor, retaining Kawhi Leonard until he is close to retirement makes a lot of sense. In fact, given that he averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists over 65-games, some sort of reward would be kind of nice.
Conversely, the fifth pick in the draft is in the Clippers’ possession, and when taking into account all of the other capital that is as well, for example, the Indiana Pacers’ 2029 unprotected first, everyone can agree that paying Leonard in the offseason would create confusion among the fanbase as a whole.
It’s like they have no reason to do so. They, quite literally, just made moves for Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin, and Isaiah Jackson.
If Tim MacMahon is on to something, and LA does end up negotiating a future with Leonard, what was the point in parting ways with James Harden?
The main reason the Clippers shipped the former MVP was to avoid a long-term obligation.
In the event that, somehow, the Clippers cannot find an outlet to trade Leonard, and no teams are interested in meeting LA’s wants, they should just keep him on the books for the last year of his contract. This will allow him to walk away for nothing next summer, which would be unfortunate for the organization, but certainly better than what MacMahon has said.
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