{
  "id": 5258440,
  "title": "The final cost of Clippers’ 2019 acquisitions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George after NBA punishment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/the-final-cost-of-clippers-2019-acquisitions-of-kawhi-leonard-and",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-03T05:37:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/final-cost-clippers-2019-acquisitions-053718991.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Los Angeles Clippers experienced disappointment following their 2019 acquisition of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. After trading away a significant package, which included future MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and five first-round picks, the Clippers were left with nothing. The NBA subsequently imposed penalties on the Clippers for their salary cap violations, resulting in the loss of two MVP trophies and ten first-round picks. The most costly trade was the one to the Thunder for Paul George, which also involved sending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Oklahoma City. This trade included seven first-round picks in total, making it a steep price to pay for Leonard. The Clippers' subsequent seven-year tenure with Kawhi Leonard yielded only one Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021, plagued by injuries and controversies. Leonard's average statistics over the tenure were disappointing, averaging 25.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 331 games. The NBA's punishment for the Clippers' salary cap circumvention extended the cost of the Leonard acquisition from 2019 to 2034. Despite these losses, the Clippers have only one Western Conference Finals appearance to show for their investment in Kawhi Leonard.",
  "summary": "The Los Angeles Clippers were hoping for a dynasty when they went all-in for Kawhi Leonard in 2019. Instead, they got a franchise left with nothing.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "The Clippers, Kawhi Leonard and the most damaging swing-and-a-miss in NBA history",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/the-clippers-kawhi-leonard-and-the-most-damaging-swing-and-a-miss-in",
        "published": "2026-09-03T01:41:36.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}