Not even a call, Kawhi? While the NBA was losing its mind in the middle of the night due to the mind-bending news of the signing paired with the Oklahoma City Thunder's trade to send Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers, Kawhi Leonard let his (now-)former Toronto Raptors teammates know his decision via text.
Leonard signed with the Clippers in the dead of the night as the NBA's offseason moratorium turned into the beginning of the 2019-20 calendar year. Apparently, per Rogers Sportsnet's Michael Grange, Kawhi only had the time to send texts to his teammates.
Kawhi told his Raptors teammates by text that he was leaving just as the news was of the move was breaking, I'm told.
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) July 6, 2019
The Raptors acquired Leonard in another stunning trade—this one occurring last summer in 2018. Toronto sent long-time fan favorite and All-Star wing DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs with Jakob Poeltl and received the two-time Defensive Player of the Year Leonard along with shooting guard Danny Green. Many in the league believed the move would be a “rental” due to Kawhi's impending free agency. The rumors turned out to be true as the two-time champion Leonard turns in his Jurassic Park membership card and gets the keys to the Staples Center, where he'll battle a renewed Lakers squad four times a year with compadre Paul George.
Danny Green has since signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, joining LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Leonard led the Raptors to the franchise's first NBA title in history, defeating Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in six games. Now, with Kevin Durant signing with the Brooklyn Nets and Klay Thompson sidelined with a torn ACL, the Western Conference is ostensibly wide open and ripe for contention—as seen by moves by the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers and even the Portland Trail Blazers.
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