Kawhi Leonard On Paul George’s Exit From The Clippers: “I Don’t Have A Problem.”

Kawhi Leonard spoke at Team USA's media scrum at their training camp ahead of the 2024 Olympics. Leonard was asked a question about Paul George 's exit from the Clippers , which he refused to answer. Perhaps sensing that his refusal to answer could be misconstrued, he clarified that he didn't have a problem with George for leaving the Clippers.

"I don't have a problem with [Paul George] leaving."

While he may say otherwise, Leonard will undoubtedly be upset about Paul George leaving. Leonard demanded that the Clippers trade for Paul George in 2019 when he was negotiating with the Clippers as a free agent. There may not be any animosity between the two over PG-13 leaving, but he most likely isn't thrilled with the move.

For George, the decision came down to being paid. He reportedly wanted a four-year deal from the Clippers, something they were not willing to offer, so he chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers , who offered him a four-year, $212 million max contract to put pen to paper.

Leonard will have to live with James Harden as his only star teammate now, as the Clippers have built a different roster around them, with several new signings to bolster the squad. While George had his issues with the Clippers, he was still a great player for them and made them a great team.

Brian Windhorst Doesn't Think Paul George Changes Things For 76ers

Brian Windhorst spoke after the Paul George deal was completed about the impact he will have on the team. He was gunshy about calling the 76ers favorites, as they still need to make some changes. Furthermore, the last time he called a team 'favorites' after landing Paul George was the 19-20 Clippers, who disappointed greatly.

"So this is now the fourth time that you could say that he was a leading headline in the offseason. The previous three have led to what? And that's my point. I'm not sure. I certainly recognize that the 76ers are a formidable team. I think they're going to need a year."

"I'm not going to put a lot of pressure on them to win this year. I know that that's the thing that you would say is, well, now Embiid's got to win... But I'm tired of sitting here the first week of July and declaring that a Paul George arrival changes everything because I believe that with the Clippers. I thought that team was set up to dominate."

Paul George will want to prove his critics wrong this season with the 76ers. Last season, he averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists with the Clippers, and played 74 games. But injuries to Kawhi Leonard in the playoffs cost them greatly, and they were eliminated in the first round.

The 76ers will be hoping George can help them get to the Conference Finals, just like he did for the Clippers in 2021. But with both he and Joel Embiid being injury-prone players, they will need the whole roster to deliver on a consistent basis for that to happen.

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