NBA Free Agency 2019: 5 targets for the Los Angeles Clippers
1. Kawhi Leonard
Just because it’s obvious doesn’t make it any less true. Leonard seems like a lock to be one-and-done with the Toronto Raptors, and a return to his Los Angeles hometown is seen as the most likely scenario.
During an NBA Finals preview panel on ESPN, Doc Rivers compared Leonard to Michael Jordan. That was seen as an attempt to recruit, somehow, and drew a $50,000 fine from the league office for tampering.
The Los Angeles Clippers have been fined $50,000 by NBA for violating the league’s anti-tampering rule when Doc Rivers publicly commented on Kawhi Leonard.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 31, 2019
To make sure Leonard knows how much they want him, along with an odd recent attempt to buy a piece of the rights to his Nike “Klaw” logo (which he’s now suing Nike over, by the way), a $50,000 fine can be deemed as a worthy cost of doing business for the Clippers.
LeBron James has apparently already started recruiting Leonard, but playing with one of the best players in league history is about the only selling point the Lakers possess. The Clippers are the far more stable operation right now, which through history seemed unlikely to ever be the case, with credible, worthy people in decision-making positions. There’s no Kurt (and/or Linda) Rambis to weirdly influence things on the Clippers’ side of things.
NBA Free Agency 2019: 5 targets for the Phoenix Suns. dark. Next
The notably introverted (at least publicly) Leonard surely wants no part of whatever’s going on with the Lakers, and the attention it constantly gets. So that leaves the Clippers as his most likely destination, which is good for them.