Why Clippers’ Future Brightens After Trading Kawhi Leonard To Raptors

Finally, the LA Clippers no longer have to worry about Kawhi Leonard’s unpredictable availability and his controlling caginess about everything. Perhaps they may no longer need to worry about the NBA’s investigation on whether they circumvented the salary cap to pay for their star, either.

That’s because the Clippers dealt Leonard to the Toronto Raptors ahead of NBA free agency. Officially, the Clippers acquired an All-Star (Brandon Ingram), a role player (Gradey Dick), unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), second-round picks (2030, 2033) and a first-round pick swap (2027) in the deal. Unofficially, the Clippers cleared themselves of numerous headaches. The Clippers don’t need to treat Leonard’s durability concerns with load management. The Clippers can continue to build a younger and more robust roster without his contract constraining their spending power. Perhaps the Clippers steer clear from potential NBA penalties after their investigation finally determines whether the Clippers actually paid Leonard $28 million through an endorsement deal with a bankrupt sustainability company (Aspiration).

It seems an ironic end to a seven-year tenure that started with promise and ended with disappointment.

In 2019, the Clippers acquired Leonard from the Raptors less than a month after helping them win their lone NBA title in franchise history. By pairing Leonard with Paul George with a proven supporting cast, the Clippers envisioned multiple NBA title runs and more respectability in a town that mostly wears purple and gold.

Seven years later? The Clippers produced one Western Conference Finals appearance (2021), a squandered 3-1 second-round series lead (2020), three first-round playoff exits and two missed playoff stints. Leonard and his teammates suffered too many injuries to count. And though the Clippers have grown their fanbase and built the privately-financed arena at Inglewood, they don’t match the same equity the Lakers have solidified for multiple decades.

The Clippers’ time with Kawhi Leonard was complicated

Granted, Clippers shouldn’t feel regret over acquiring Leonard. Yes, Leonard missed the entire 2021-22 season with a torn ACL and played above 60 games in only two of his seven seasons there. Yes, the Clippers also acquired George from Oklahoma City at the expense of a future regular-season MVP (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), a respected role player (Danilo Gallinari), three first-round picks (2022, 2024, 2025), and two first-round pick swaps (2023, 2025). Yes, Leonard seemed too high-strung with how much he expected the Clippers to operate like an intelligence agency with how much they limited media access and remained overly secretive about his injuries.

Anyone can look back in hindsight and argued the Clippers should have avoided forming an underachieving duo. At the time, though, the Clippers were nothing more than a respectable and hard-working first-round playoff opponent. The Clippers acquired Leonard because they were convinced he could replicate his championship play in Toronto so as long as the Clippers replicated the Raptors’ load management practice. The Clippers acquired George because of his All-Star two-way talent and because Leonard’s arrival hinged on George’s presence. For all the annoyances about Leonard’s availability, the Clippers swore by his disciplined training, his work ethic and leadership behind the scenes. When healthy, Leonard remained one of the NBA’s best two-way players.

Nonetheless, it became increasingly clear that the Clippers needed to conclude the Leonard era.

Leonard secured his fifth All-Star appearance as a Clipper by producing his best statistical season (27.9 points per game) in the second most games played with the franchise (65 games). Leonard and the Clippers found a better formula on how to maximize his health while still keeping his practice workload and his game reps steadier. Yet, that still amounted to nothing more than a Play-In tournament loss to Golden State.

The Clippers had already paved away gradually from their older roster. In the 2024 offseason, the Clippers let George leave for Philadelphia because they valued using their funds for rotational players than a second star. Before the trade deadline, they dealt their productive but aging point guard (James Harden) to Cleveland for a younger and more dynamic point guard (Darius Garland). During that time, the Clippers also shipped their proven and tenured center (Ivica Zubac) to the Indiana Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin and a first-round pick that yielded them Keaton Wagler at No. 5.

Lawrence Frank, the Clippers president of basketball operations, told reporters that “our plan is to win with Kawhi.” But the Clippers had no plans to extend Leonard with one year left on his contract worth $50 million because it would disrupt their long-term roster building. With Leonard disinterested in playing out the final year of his contract without job security, the Clippers found a trading partner that is more willing to grant his. While the Raptors hope to cash in on some more championship equity, the Clippers at least extracted some respectable talent and draft capital in return.

That’s not exactly how the Clippers envisioned Leonard’s tenure would end. But with each season increasingly seeming familiar, the Clippers finally found the right opportunity to cut their losses in hopes they can build a bridge into a more productive era.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

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