Will Kawhi Leonard test the market or stay with the LA Clippers?
As the Clippers' playoff run hangs in the balance, could Kawhi Leonard be drawing the curtain on his time in LA?
The Clippers' superstar hasn’t returned to the basketball court since he went down with a knee injury in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz on June 14.
Since then, the Clippers fell into an 0-2 hole to start a series for the third time in these playoffs, dropping the first two games of the conference finals to the Phoenix Suns.
Now, LA finds itself down 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Wednesday, and all eyes are on Leonard, who will miss his eighth consecutive game this postseason.
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Rumors have been swirling over the past couple of weeks that Leonard has been unhappy with the Clippers' medical staff. This has led some to question whether Leonard will return to LA next season.
On Friday's "Undisputed," Skip Bayless shared that Leonard has not, in fact, seen eye-to-eye with the organization's handling of his injury and that the chances of Leonard leaving LA are high.
"I have been told by a very good source that the first issue became Kawhi was unhappy with the Clippers' medical staff because he felt that they, early on, misdiagnosed and underplayed the extent of this knee injury," Bayless said. "I was also told … ‘He’s gone. He’s going to need some type of surgery.’ I’m not sure exactly what the extent of it is, but he’s going to need surgery. So he’s out for the rest of the playoffs, but [the Clippers organization] doesn't ever say he's out because I think they're not talking [to one another]."
Should Leonard want to leave LA, the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent should attract plenty of attention, potentially from teams such as the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat.
The question is: Would Leonard be wise to move on if the Clippers are eliminated?
On Monday’s "First Things First," FOX Sports NBA Analyst Chris Broussard said point-blank that there's no reason for Leonard to leave, regardless of what happens in the Suns series and despite his being disgruntled with the Clippers' medical staff.
"A couple things we need to remember … he does have his own medical guys and trainers that he consults and works with, too," Broussard began. "And we know that Steve Ballmer, the owner of the Clippers, will spare no expense for his basketball team. … Skip [Bayless] also said that Kawhi was going to need surgery in the offseason. If that’s the case, I think that helps the Clippers' chances of keeping him because they’re going to have more confidence in him being able to come back as Kawhi Leonard than probably any other team."
On the other hand, Broussard’s cohost, Nick Wright, believes that history could be repeating itself and that the writing is already on the wall for Leonard and the Clippers.
"We can’t disregard the history here," Wright said. "And the history here is a player who – we’ve seen this story before, right? This is what caused the fallout in San Antonio. … I feel like his entire ‘He’s out with a knee [injury],' ‘It’s a sprain,’ ‘I hear it’s an ACL,' ‘It’s not,’ ‘Is he traveling with the team? No,’ ‘Is he at the game? Yes,’ but he’s in the box. … It’s just an odd way this is being handled.
"I think Kawhi is a lot to deal with inside the building, as far as managing what he wants, and is he even communicating exactly what he wants? … He does have them where the Clippers have no leverage. If he walks, they’re screwed. They have no draft capital. They have no salary-cap room … they have to have him back, and they seem like they are totally dead to whatever [he] wants, and I don’t know if anyone knows what Kawhi wants."
Wright was referring to a nagging quad injury that Leonard suffered in 2017 that caused him to play only nine games for the Spurs that season. He eventually split from San Antonio after he and the organization had a falling out over how to treat his injury — quite similar to the situation Leonard and the Clippers find themselves in now.
When healthy, there is no denying Leonard's value. Prior to getting injured, the two-time NBA champion averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists through 52 games of the 2020-21 regular season and 30.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this postseason, and he remains the most efficient one-on-one scorer of these playoffs.
Leonard shot 51.2% from the field — including 38.4% from 3-point range — and 85.8% from the free-throw line in the regular season. In his 11 playoff games, he shot 57.3% from the floor — including 39.3% from 3-point range — and 88.0% from the free-throw line.
The Clippers might have some work ahead of them if they are to salvage their relationship with Leonard. Regardless of whether they can, it could be a major topic to watch this offseason.
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