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SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. The Clippers did more than find equal footing with the Lakers with this summer’s haul—they surpassed them by … Leonard going to the Clippers means that for the first time, a reigning NBA Finals MVP will be changing teams before the following season. and providing a link to a story noting Clippers coach Doc Rivers was a big winner landing Leonard and George. "Kawhi has made his decision. Holy shit. The Clippers had to give up a whole lot of stuff to make it happen, but it is still incredible that they pulled it off. Those picks go to OKC with Gallinari and SGA. All Rights Reserved. Who would have thought they'd have a better pair of franchise players by now? Randy Arozarena homered, Charlie Morton was brilliant against his ex-team, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Houston Astros 4-2 in Game 7 of the ALCS. The beauty of pairing Leonard and George is that there shouldn't be a power struggle. And like Durant, Irving and Walker, he's changing addresses. With Kevin Durant moving to the Eastern Conference to join the Nets and Klay Thompson out for multiple months with a torn ACL, teams are trying to take down the Warriors in the West. George is not quite on Davis' level, but the difference is that the Clippers knew that this trade would lure Leonard. Leonard will sign with the Clippers as a free agent, immediately creating a new Western Conference superpower. Kawhi Leonard celebrates after the Toronto Raptors clinch their first NBA title with a Game 6 win over the Golden State Warriors on June 13 in Oakland. https://t.co/4bGpMNat8K, The Clippers Have Traded for Paul George to Team with Kawhi Leonard, 2019-20 Clippers Report Card: Moe Harkless, The Clippers got the best coach on the market in Tyronn Lue. League sources confirmed overnight reports from ESPN.com’s Adrian Wojnarowski and others that Leonard has chosen to join the Clippers after Los Angeles pulled off a … I will be teaming up with new teammates in LA, the Los Angeles Lakers.". Youth movement on Dodgers’ pitching staff provides intriguing Game 7 options. It is all here. A presentation by the Clippers this week, including an extremely strong pitch by coach Doc Rivers, helped sell Leonard on joining the team, according to the people. This is monumental. L.A. Clippers reportedly acquire stars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George to join NBA elite Leonard, a free agent, will reportedly be joined by George in a trade … This is a dream scenario for the Clippers, who in recent days had to consider the possibility of signing zero marquee free agents, bringing back Gallinari and staying opportunistic about adding elite talent (after obsessing over Leonard all season). Leonard is entering his ninth NBA season, is a three-time All-Star, a two-time champion and one of only three players in league history to win the NBA Finals MVP award with multiple franchises. Even Paul George could be on the chopping block with Kawhi Leonard being the only player whom LA Clippers won't trade. The complete list of L.A. Times’ endorsements in the November 2020 election. He dominated the Warriors in the Finals, averaging 28.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and earned Finals MVP honors. Behind closed doors, Leonard reportedly was recruiting George to the Clippers. Since his days with the Lakers and later the Wizards, Tyronn Lue was surrounded by giants of the game. Lue got his head coaching job in Los Angeles after all. That plan became complicated, though, when he was traded elsewhere and had a much better time than he had expected to. The one-two punch shocked the NBA, which waited for days with few details about Leonard’s preferred destination, and turned the Clippers into an overnight favorite to win the Western Conference. Details of a five-year contract are still being finalized. That plan paid off Friday with Leonard’s decision, which was shrouded in speculation not only since the beginning of free agency last weekend, but all season. It delivered a title. Privacy Policy | Accessibility and Closed Caption | Terms of Use | Do Not Sell My Personal Information. George averaged a career-best 28 points last season even while dealing with shoulder issues that required surgery, and the Thunder couldn't get out of the first round in either of those seasons. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. As the rest of the NBA hurried to make its free-agency decisions, Kawhi Leonard took his time. His lone season in Toronto was the best of his career, answering every question about his health after a leg issue limited him to only nine games with San Antonio in 2017-18. But with their striking deal for George, the Clippers moved up that timeline far earlier than anyone anticipated while also landing Leonard. He and George give the Clippers star power unlike the franchise has ever known — and at an opportune time. Sources: As expected, Kawhi Leonard: four-year, $142M maximum contract. George's departure from Oklahoma City comes one year after he signed a four-year, $137 million deal with the Thunder. The LA Clippers appear to be adding two of the NBA's best two-way players. Clippers reach agreement with Tyronn Lue to be next coach. Staggering, Sources: Oklahoma City is getting a massive package of future picks, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Galllinari, to deliver Kawhi Leonard who he wanted to partner with: Paul George. Leonard is 28, George is 29 and both of them are all-world defenders who can score from everywhere and will make each other better. The Clippers Have Traded for Paul George to Team with Kawhi Leonard. The Raptors made clear: They considered Leonard the top player in the game, and he performed at a level worthy of that moniker. Oklahoma City was reportedly "left with no choice" but to deal him for a large number of picks. Clippers players unhappy with Kawhi Leonard benefits: Report New ... pay up, and the Clippers did so. Confident and forceful, Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen tries to restore his bullpen ace legacy. By trading him, however, the Clippers helped add two stars, already in their prime. That meant Kawhi Leonard could finally make his. I am talking, of course, about Paul George, who asked the Oklahoma City Thunder to trade him to the Clippers after Kawhi Leonard had pitched him on teaming up in Los Angeles, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. George averaged 28 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Thunder. Teofimo Lopez dominated early and finished strong Saturday to win a unanimous 12-round decision over Vasiliy Lomachenko to unify the lightweight titles. Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. This is way, way better than losing him for nothing, but it's still a bit of a bummer. "Obviously, we have the best player in the league and the best player in these playoffs in Kawhi Leonard," Raptors forward Pascal Siakam said after Toronto won the title. Just like the Nets, there is risk involved for the Clippers because of their incoming stars' respective injury histories. The Clippers have reached an agreement with Tyronn Lue to be their next coach. In reversal, Trump administration approves California wildfire relief funding. George thanked the Thunder and its fanbase for his time with the organization in an Instagram post on Saturday. Thank you to the fans who make representing those 3 letters mean something," he said. How to vote. Aside from Nov. 18 draft, negotiations will decide new calendar. If they are healthy, though, Los Angeles should be perennial championship contenders throughout their primes. They likely had a difficult time parting with Gilgeous-Alexander, a 6-foot-6 guard who has a 6-11 ½ wingspan and will turn 21 this week. "Last year, a lot of people were doubting me," Leonard said after the NBA Finals. Yet with both Leonard and George arriving amid a destabilized West, the Clippers rapidly turned from an eight-seed that advanced to this season’s first round of the playoffs into a team that will operate in the spotlight . That includes Patrick Beverley, who agreed Sunday to re-sign on a three-year contract worth $40 million. That’s an absolute motherload, but it will all be worth it if the Clippers win a championship. Leonard is expected to sign a four-year contract worth the maximum $142 million. Danny Green announced that he is signing a two-year deal with the Lakers, meaning he, too, is leaving Toronto. George's decision to re-sign then was seen as a massive victory for the franchise that had spent a season recruiting him. Leonard led the Raptors to their first championship less than one month ago in his lone season in Toronto. According to Wojnarowski, the Clippers are sending a record-setting collection of draft choices in exchange for George. Your guide to the 2020 election in California. Green said he enjoyed Toronto and that it was unfortunate how free agency turned out for that city, the Raptors and for Canada. The Raptors took a major chance in acquiring Leonard last summer, since they weren't on his original list of preferred teams when he told the Spurs that he wanted to be moved elsewhere after spending his first seven seasons with them and helping them win the 2014 NBA title. 8:34 am ET, Reacting to the Clippers Blockbuster moves, According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Pelicans, Saints owner victim of carjacking attempt, Clippers to hire Lue as new head coach, per report, Report: Rockets search down to three candidates, Report: Melo may 'want to follow' CP3 to Knicks. The Clippers needed everything to line up perfectly in order to get him. It is never fun to lose a player of George's caliber, but I love the haul. Kawhi Leonard to sign with Clippers, who also trade for Paul George. The silver lining, though, is that there were real questions about how far George and Westbrook were going to take this team after a couple of first-round exits. And Leonard made his decision to sign with the Clippers after the team swung the deal to land George, the person said. This trade was absolutely stunning at the moment, but it shouldn't be a surprise that the reigning Finals MVP would want to play with another proven playoff performer who can defend multiple positions, stretch the floor and carry the offense when Leonard sits. The Clippers gave up an unprecedented haul for George, sending 4 … One element that could help the Clippers is a big center to add to the duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Acquiring Paul Georgie helped convince Kawhi Leonard to sign with the Clippers. All those picks were the cost of two superstars, not one. © 2020 ABG-SI LLC. In some ways, trading George feels like a failure. The former Pacers and Thunder star then requested a trade from Oklahoma City, Wojnarowski reported. The two-way star was an MVP candidate this past season, and averaged 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, rival NBA teams have been aware of the discontent between George and Thunder All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, which prompted the Clippers to push for a trade. Disaster funds will help rebuilding and cleanup efforts in the aftermath of several blazes, including the Bobcat and Creek fires. Staff Writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report. The 2019 NBA Finals MVP reportedly has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. And he may be about to make the Clippers contenders as well. But that's not it for the Clippers. Even Paul George could be on the chopping block with Kawhi Leonard being the only player whom LA Clippers won't trade. Leonard was also being pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors, the team he led to last season's NBA title. Here are the Los Angeles Times’ editorial board endorsements for president, California ballot measures and more.

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