The race for the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes came down to the defending champion Toronto Raptors, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Clippers. Prior to Saturday's league-shattering announcement, reports from every single news outlet claim that the Clippers were already out of the race and that Leonard's decision was essentially down to the Raptors and Lakers.
Little did we know that Leonard and the Clippers were brewing up a master plan to join forces. That plan came to fruition on early Saturday morning when the Clippers officially signed the reigning Finals MVP to a four-year $142-million max deal and also acquired Paul George in a blockbuster trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As Kawhi Leonard and his camp watched everyone make their speculations his next move, they reportedly found it comical that many thought that his last choice was the Clippers, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports.
Kawhi Leonard and his camp found it comical throughout the process that he was “reportedly” headed to every team but the Clippers. In the end, his small circle kept everyone guessing. And that’s what occurred: guessing.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 6, 2019
The two-time Finals MVP has essentially made every single report over the past week look foolish. Leonard took his oh-so-sweet time on the free agency process and had been mum on where he would take his talents next season.
The report sent shockwaves throughout the Association as the Clippers now become a legitimate contender for the NBA championship next season.
The Lakers were confident that they can convince Leonard to join forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Toronto, on the other hand, had the advantage of experiencing a championship with Leonard leading the way.
This move clearly caught many off-guard given that the Clippers did not really have any star to pair with Kawhi Leonard. But alas, Jerry West magically pulled the biggest rabbit out of the hat after acquiring Paul George – which eventually led the shocker of free agency.
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