PG claims he and Kawhi almost ended up in Toronto: "Ultimately, the Clippers put something better"

Since winning the 2019 NBA title, the Toronto Raptors have struggled to find sustained success. The Raptors have made the playoffs just twice in the five seasons after their title-winning campaign and have missed the postseason in each of the last two seasons.

This decline began with Kawhi Leonard 's departure after they won the chip in 2019. Leonard left Toronto to play for the Clippers, but while most believe that the Raptors didn't have a chance of keeping Kawhi after the 2018-19 season because he wanted to stay close to home, Paul George now says that he and 'The Klaw' almost ended up in the North that summer.

"I was close to going to Toronto," George said on the latest episode of Podcast P. "We was deciding to go to Toronto or the Clippers. Ultimately, the Clippers put a better trade package together that sent me to L.A. But I was close. He was gon' re-sign to Toronto, and we was going to go to Toronto."

One of the most lopsided trades in NBA history

Leonard left a lot of money on the table in Toronto when he signed a three-year $103 million deal to sign with the Clippers. But before Kawhi signed with L.A., he made sure that they were going to acquire George from the Thunder because he wasn't going to play for the Clips' alone.

Kawhi admitted that he had already been eyeing a team-up with Paul, even when he was still in San Antonio. According to Leonard, he urged the Spurs to make a deal for George , but it didn't happen. This time around, he made sure about it by making PG a part of his agreement to play for L.A.

The Clippers traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks, and two pick swaps to the Thunder for George. With SGA developing into an All-NBA player and the Thunder still reaping the rewards from the draft picks, it is considered one of the most lopsided trades in recent memory.

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Could this be the reason why the Clippers gave up so much?

It's unclear how close PG and 'The Klaw' were to teaming up in Toronto, but if George is correct, then this may be the reason the Clippers gave up a fortune just to get him. If the Raptors were indeed in play for the former Fresno State standout, they must have offered a big bounty to the Thunder, which in turn forced the Clips' to top it.

Getting Kawhi back, plus George, would have been huge for a Raptors franchise coming off a championship season. However, it would be interesting to know which players they would have to give up to get Paul. Surely, it would have included either Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby, plus players and draft picks.

Still, it would have been interesting to see how things would have unfolded if PG and 'The Klaw' ended up in Toronto. Suppose they could have stayed healthy while playing in a different conference, but who knows if they would have won a title during their five years together?

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