The Los Angeles Clippers have been in the headlines for the past few weeks after a report came out that Steve Ballmer may have been paying Kawhi Leonard under the table. Since then, many have been trying to find out if the report is true, and Ballmer has even done an interview to try to clear his name.
This all leads back to Leonard, who is the star of the Clippers and has been since he signed with the team in 2019. Fast forward to now, and they have nothing to show for his years there, and with his contract ending next season, some are wondering what will be next for him and the franchise.
A former staff member of the Clippers said that the team is done building around Leonard, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes.
“They're done building around [Kawhi],” the staffer said. “They know that and he knows that.”
This may not come as a surprise to some, as Leonard is getting older, and he has been dealing with injuries for the past few seasons. It could be hard to build around somebody who doesn't play much, and the Clippers could be looking toward the future with their roster.
As of now, it's hard to see them building for the future when looking at their roster. They have a lot of older players, such as Leonard, James Harden, Chris Paul, and Nic Batum, and it will be interesting to see how things play out with them this season. Regardless of their age, they have still contributed at a high level wherever they've been in their career over the years.
For Leonard, it's obvious that he is a star on the team, but the Clippers may want to go in a direction in the next two seasons where they don't have to depend on him to lead them.
