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ramona shelburne
multiple authors
Los Angeles– LA Clippers All-Star Forward kawhi leonard Wasn’t ready to discuss his future with the team after Wednesday night season ending loss till Golden State Warriors As he enters the final season of his contract.
When Leonard was asked if he could see a future with the Clippers, who transferred the All-Star guard, he said, “Let me cry a little more about this loss.” james harden and youth center ivica zubac The February trade had many wondering if they were beginning a rebuild. “We will have our discussion when that time comes.”
Leonard is eligible to extend his contract for two additional seasons beginning the day after the NBA Finals. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Clippers can offer a maximum of $126.1 million over two seasons.
But the Clippers did not decline after those trades, and became the first team in NBA history to finish a season 15 games over .500 after being 15 games under .500 at the first point of the season. LA went 36–19 to finish the regular season – fourth best in the Western Conference during that span – after starting 6–21.
That start included a messy breakup with franchise veteran Chris Paul, who was unceremoniously sent home from a road trip and subsequently traded. toronto It is believed that this was his retirement tour with his former team.
Paul eventually retired after being released by the Raptors.
The episode with Paul was the nadir of a season that had started badly before it even started, as the team was embroiled in scandal over an endorsement deal signed by Leonard with now-bankrupt former team sponsor, Aspiration.
Podcaster Pablo Torre reported before the season that former Aspiration employees said they believed backing Leonard was a way for the Clippers to avoid the salary cap.
The NBA began an ongoing investigation into Leonard’s deal with the Aspirations in September.
Asked Wednesday night if he knew the status of that investigation and how important the resolution would be to him, Leonard said:
“I never thought much about it other than the questions I asked. You’ll have to ask the NBA, not me. I’m not going to probe. … I think we’re going to be clear. I’m not pushing it.”
The season-ending loss to the Warriors was notable for another reason. In February, the Warriors were among the teams that called the Clippers to inquire about Leonard’s availability following the Harden trade, according to multiple sources. Sources said that although those talks failed, there is hope they can be revisited in the offseason.
If this was Leonard’s final season in Los Angeles, that would be great. He scored the most points per game (27.9) in his career and finished in the top 10 in field goal percentage, 2-point percentage and 3-point percentage. The Clippers were plus-7.8 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court and minus-6.9 points when he was off the court. More importantly, Leonard played 66 games, his second-most since the 2016-17 season.
Wednesday night made it clear just how much the Clippers will need to add to the roster if they decide to build their team around him again this summer as the Warriors essentially dedicated their defensive game plan to making it difficult for Leonard to score or impact the game. Leonard finished with 21 points but made only one shot in the final 16 minutes. They also had five turnovers in the second half, their most in any half since 2019.
According to ESPN Insights, Warriors ahead draymond green Guarded Leonard for 51 half-court matchups, the most by any player this season, and held Leonard to nine points on eight shots in those matchups.
“Draymond Green, Hall of Fame defender,” Leonard said. “Even making shots was difficult.”
