When Kawhi Leonard left the Raptors for the Clippers in 2019, he did so in large part because he wanted to return home to Los Angeles.
If Leonard had been prioritizing his ability to keep racking up championships, he may have remained in Toronto, where the Raptors were coming off a 2019 title and were in position to keep it rolling, or joined forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on L.A.’s other team, the Lakers.
Even after losing Leonard and Danny Green – who had expressed interest in returning to the Raptors if Kawhi did – Toronto pushed the Celtics to seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2020. James and Davis, of course, led the Lakers to a championship in the Orlando bubble.
Leonard’s decision to prioritize family and comfort rather than trying to maximize his ability to win titles is certainly defensible, especially for a player who had already secured two championships. And it’s not as if he was joining an also-ran by signing with the Clippers — the addition of Kawhi and a trade for Paul George made them legitimate title contenders as well.
However, the Clips were unexpectedly eliminated in the second round of the 2020 postseason by the Nuggets, and now find themselves in a 2-0 hole in the first round in 2021, having lost two games at home to the Mavericks.
This series is far from over, and postgame comments from the likes of Leonard, George, and head coach Tyronn Lue on Tuesday stuck to a common theme: the Clippers aren’t concerned about their two-game deficit and remain confident in their abilities to pull out the series (link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).
But if the Clippers can’t complete the comeback and are knocked out in the first round, it will be a disaster for a franchise that seemingly tanked its way into a matchup with Dallas during the season’s final weekend. Presumably, the goal was to remain out of the Lakers’ side of the Western Conference bracket, but now the Clips are at risk of being eliminated two rounds before they could even face their L.A. rivals — and they find themselves in this situation just two months before Kawhi could turn down his 2021/22 player option and return to the free agent market.
There has long been a belief that Leonard is where he wants to be and that his free agency will be a mere formality. Sure, it makes sense for him to opt out, but only so he can sign maximize his earnings by signing a new deal with the Clippers now that he’ll be eligible for a maximum salary starting at 35% of the cap.
But a second consecutive playoff disappointment would introduce a whole lot more uncertainty into Leonard’s free agency decision. The Clippers mortgaged many of their future assets when they traded for George — would they have the pieces to continue making roster upgrades, and would those moves be enough to convince Kawhi that they’ll be title contenders going forward?
Again, it’s worth reiterating that being in Los Angeles was what Leonard wanted all along, and a move to the Lakers this offseason isn’t realistic. So even if the Mavs knock out the Clippers, we shouldn’t assume that the two-time Finals MVP will jump ship in search of a better on-court situation.
But Leonard will turn 30 next month, so if he wants to sign a long-term deal this summer, he’ll essentially be choosing where he wants to spend the rest of his prime. Will he feel confident making that sort of commitment to the Clippers after two disappointing playoff runs? Would a short-term contract with the Clips be more realistic?
It’s entirely possible that this discussion will seem silly in a few weeks if Leonard and the Clippers roar back against Dallas and make a deep postseason run. For now though, there’s a ton on the line for Steve Ballmer‘s franchise, and it’s worth considering what’s next for L.A. in a worst-case scenario.
What do you think? If the Clippers are eliminated in the first round, should we expect Leonard to look elsewhere in free agency? Or will his desire to be in Los Angeles ultimately win out, even if he signs a shorter-term deal with the Clippers?
Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Community Shootaround: Kawhi Leonard's Free Agency - hoopsrumors.com
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