While the Los Angeles Lakers worried about lining up two separate meetings with Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors were assured the last one before he made his free-agent decision, the LA Clippers went about their business in an effective way that helped seal the deal. The Clippers not only met with Leonard at Doc Rivers' home in Malibu for a lengthy sitdown, but the organization also kept in constant touch with the Finals MVP by talking two to three times a day leading up to his decision.

Per The Athletic:

There is a perception that in-person meetings are the first and last chance to persuade a player, but that wasn’t the case with Leonard and the Clippers. The two sides spoke every day of free agency — ranging from two to three conversations a day — about roster hypotheticals and other questions that naturally arose. The Clippers never felt they were in the dark during the process.

The Malibu sitdown was more about getting some face time and familiarity among all of the people who could become partners very soon.

Related NewsArticle continues below
Featured image Nic Batum
Clippers’ Nicolas Batum reveals upcoming retirement plan
Galactus with an arrow pointing at Jeff Van Gundy with Marvel Studios Fantastic Four: First Steps logo behind them.
Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Galactus first look gets wild Jeff Van Gundy comparison

The Clippers' meeting with the recently crowned champion was stealthy, never drawing too much attention to it — just the way Leonard's camp was hoping it would be. Their talks remained fluid through the course of free agency, keeping Leonard engaged on the promise of joining a new franchise while the front office worked arduously to find a star to pair him next to.

That turned to be Paul George, and soon enough, the dream he had been pitched was all that much closer to a reality.