Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard-Paul George Era Came at a Staggering Cost
The Clippers lost Paul George and a haul of picks for nothing. Now they've lost Kawhi Leonard too — and it's cost them even more.
The Los Angeles Clippers recently agreed to trade Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors, a move that carries a heavy financial and team cost. Although Leonard had recently won a championship with the Raptors, the Clippers went above and beyond to secure his return. However, their actions have now backfired, with the NBA fining the team $30 million and forcing them to forfeit five first-round picks for violating salary cap circumvention rules by aiding Leonard in securing lucrative endorsement deals.
Furthermore, the Clippers have been suspended multiple members, including owner Steve Ballmer, for a year. This is not the first time the team has faced such consequences; when they acquired Paul George in 2019, they also traded away promising players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and multiple draft picks. The Clippers' early success with both Leonard and George has since fizzled out, with the team missing the playoffs in multiple seasons and suffering premature exits in others.
George left for Boston in 2024, never living up to his potential in LA, while Leonard returned to Toronto, adding to the numerous disappointments for Clippers fans over the last decade.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
