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When Kawhi Leonard left the Toronto Raptors in 2019 free agency, just weeks after delivering the franchise its first championship in team history, it seemed impossible there would ever be a reunion. Not because of any bad blood between the two sides, but because Leonard left Toronto to come home to Southern California, where he grew up and where his family lives. And for the last seven years, he has headlined an LA Clippers team that has largely underperformed with him as the lead star. Injuries have had a lot to do with this, particularly to Leonard, but it has been an underwhelming era in Los Angeles nonetheless.
Now, as the Clippers eye the future, it has become increasingly possible that Leonard is dealt this offseason. LA selected 19-year-old guard Keaton Wagler out of Illinois with the No. 5 overall pick in this past NBA Draft, and speaking with reporters afterward, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank made it clear the team is not currently a contender. With Leonard set to turn 35 years old on Monday, and entering the final year of his contract, it seems very likely the writing could be on the wall as it pertains to his time in LA.
This became even more real on Sunday when it was reported by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line that the Clippers and Raptors have held real trade discussions surrounding Leonard. Now, as trade discussions continue, Toronto faces a real decision on how much it is willing to part with to bring Leonard back.
Would Toronto be willing to give up All-Rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles? Would it part with RJ Barrett instead of Brandon Ingram despite preferring to deal the latter? The Clippers will certainly do all they can to extract max value for the two-time Finals MVP, especially if there are competitors for landing him via trade, which seems to be the case.
The Clippers were very intentional in their negotiations with the Indiana Pacers on the Ivica Zubac trade in pursuing maximum draft-pick compensation. Now, while Leonard is a different tier of player than Zubac, he's also much older and has an extensive injury history. How the Raptors reconcile that in their negotiations with the Clippers remains to be seen, but it's certainly something to consider, even if the team feels it is a Leonard away from being a championship team, just like in 2019.
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Now, as the Clippers eye the future, it has become increasingly possible that Leonard is dealt this offseason. LA selected 19-year-old guard Keaton Wagler out of Illinois with the No. 5 overall pick in this past NBA Draft, and speaking with reporters afterward, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank made it clear the team is not currently a contender. With Leonard set to turn 35 years old on Monday, and entering the final year of his contract, it seems very likely the writing could be on the wall as it pertains to his time in LA.
This became even more real on Sunday when it was reported by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line that the Clippers and Raptors have held real trade discussions surrounding Leonard. Now, as trade discussions continue, Toronto faces a real decision on how much it is willing to part with to bring Leonard back.
Would Toronto be willing to give up All-Rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles? Would it part with RJ Barrett instead of Brandon Ingram despite preferring to deal the latter? The Clippers will certainly do all they can to extract max value for the two-time Finals MVP, especially if there are competitors for landing him via trade, which seems to be the case.
The Clippers were very intentional in their negotiations with the Indiana Pacers on the Ivica Zubac trade in pursuing maximum draft-pick compensation. Now, while Leonard is a different tier of player than Zubac, he's also much older and has an extensive injury history. How the Raptors reconcile that in their negotiations with the Clippers remains to be seen, but it's certainly something to consider, even if the team feels it is a Leonard away from being a championship team, just like in 2019.
Continue reading...
