Kawhi Leonard Unfazed By Paul George’s Clippers Departure, Ready To Lead

A few old wounds are yet to seal as a new dawn arrives in the Los Angeles Clippers franchise. Since 2019, the Clippers have had the outlook of perennial NBA contenders without any real success to show for it.

With three total playoff series under their cap, the Paul George trade to acquire both PG and Kawhi Leonard has been a disappointment. However, the team isn’t ready to turn back just yet. Since that infamous trade, they have doubled down on building a contender.

As a result, their future assets are essentially nonexistent, with two former MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook joining the squad. Unfortunately, even Russ is now off the roster, leaving the mismatch fit of Kawhi and Harden. As two consistent All-Star, All-NBA caliber stars, that is more than most teams. But, their specific deficiencies are already infamous as is.

NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers, Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers Updates

As they enter the new season with a roster rebuilt on the fly, the hole left by Paul George is gaping and immediately visible. However, for Kawhi Leonard, the exit of his former teammate wasn’t a huge surprise.

Kawhi Leonard was familiar with how things might go down

Prior to the 2023-24 season, many saw the year as make or break for the Clippers. With both Leonard and Paul entering contract years, it was easy to see that owner Steve Balmer might take some action. Halfway through the year, those doubts seem to be put to rest. The team was rolling, both PG13 and Kawhi were having their healthiest season yet. As a result, a three-year, $150 million extension came the 2-time NBA Champion’s way.

Unfortunately, the same wasn’t true for Paul George. Initially, the offer from management was a significant lowball which PG was quick to reject. Over the season, contract negotiations were constant between the two sides. But, no decision could be made. Eventually, the team was ready to give George the same deal as Leonard around the All-Star break. Paul was ready to sign, with one condition. He wanted a no-trade clause. Unfortunately, LA wasn’t willing to budge and the deal fell through.

For Kawhi, though, the decision wasn’t a huge surprise. Instead, he knew that the deal could fall through. As George would reveal, he had a conversation with the two-time Finals MVP before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $212 million deal.

NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers, Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers Updates

Leonard, in a media session during his brief stay with Team USA, made his support for George clear, but otherwise chose to not comment on the situation. Instead, his comments were reserved for the lack of a surprise. “ We knew what it was before the season. We knew what it was going to come down to. So, we talked the whole way through. It’s no surprise.”

What’s next for the Los Angeles Clippers?

Despite losing out on Paul George, the Los Angeles Clippers have done a good job of building out the roster around James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Immediately after, they acquired a relatively similar caliber of defender in Derick Jones Jr. Coming off a Finals appearance with the Dallas Mavericks, DJJ was unbelievable on their run.

But, for the offense as well, the team now has Kevin Porter Jr. in a heavily controversial move. However, that is not all. They’ve gone above and beyond to build out the depth, adding Mo Bamba and Kris Dunn to further bolster the roster.

NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers, Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers Updates

As it stands, a bigger load falls on the shoulders of Leonard. However, he isn’t too concerned with those expectations. “ How much will be on me to lead the team? The same like it was last year. It don’t change.”

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