Community Shootaround: Kawhi Leonard
It only lasted five days, but it seemed much, much longer at the time. In a summer where many of the NBA’s top free agents announced their agreements suspiciously close to the official start of free agency, Kawhi Leonard‘s decision seemed to linger forever.
While we all waited, the rumor mill got wacky. First came reports that he was definitely joining the Lakers, followed by other reports that he was definitely staying with the Raptors. The Clippers were presented as an afterthought and were rumored to be out of consideration. Intrepid reporters tracked a flight from Los Angeles to Toronto without knowing for sure that Leonard was on board. And Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter somehow became an NBA insider.
Tension was high all week for the three teams involved in the chase as other free agents came off the board. When Leonard announced his decision late on the night of June 5, there was jubilation at Clippers headquarters and severe disappointment across town and throughout Canada.
Hard feelings in the Lakers’ camp led to accusations that Leonard had “played” them in the process. There were also reports that he asked for extreme considerations from the Raptors before abandoning an organization that had just won its first NBA title. The grumblings grew so loud that Leonard felt compelled to address them at his introductory press conference this week.
“I didn’t lead anyone on,” he said. “I took my time in free agency, as I should, to make sure I made the best decision for myself and my family. I feel like some of the media coverage over it made it feel that way, with people saying I’m signing with Toronto 99 percent or I’m going to the Lakers 99 percent. I don’t ever want to have that bad karma come back on me trying to make the Lakers miss out on players they should have gotten or vice-versa with the Raptors.”
Leonard added that all the teams were free to change their strategy if they thought waiting was too risky.
“If they didn’t want to wait for me, they didn’t have to,” Leonard said. “They had a big opportunity to sign me. [The Lakers] were close, but I ended up on the other side.”
Leonard isn’t the first free agent to take his time in reaching a decision. In 2016, Kevin Durant waited until July 4 to announce that he was joining the Warriors. A year later, Gordon Hayward picked the same date to confirm his agreement with the Celtics. LeBron James took until July 11 before releasing the Sports Illustrated article proclaiming his return to Cleveland in 2014.
We want to get your opinion on Leonard. Do you believe he did anything to intentionally hurt the Raptors or Lakers in free agency or is this just sour grapes from the teams that didn’t sign him? Please leave your responses in the space below.
Pacific Notes: Ballmer, Wright, West, Warriors
Steve Ballmer’s actions over the past year should end any speculation that he has a long-term strategy to move the Clippers to Seattle, writes Arash Markazi of The Los Angeles Times. Ballmer has strong ties to the Pacific Northwest, where he made his fortune as CEO of Microsoft. He tried to buy the SuperSonics in 2008 and had a deal in place to move the Kings to Seattle in 2013 before it fell through.
However, Ballmer recognizes that the Clippers would drop in value if they were moved from the nation’s second-largest media market and has been taking steps to ensure their long-term future in Los Angeles. The team formally announced plans Thursday for a new 18,500-seat arena in Inglewood that will be built without public money. Ballmer also approved two bold moves this summer to acquire Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, making the Clippers legitimate contenders for the NBA title.
“We’re not moving the team to Seattle,” Ballmer declared recently. “We’re building a new billion-dollar-plus home in Inglewood.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers made an addition to their coaching staff this week by hiring Todd Wright, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Wright served as head of strength and conditioning as well as an assistant coach for the Sixers for the past four seasons.
- The Lakers will part with director of player personnel Ryan West, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic (Twitter link). The son of NBA legend Jerry West had been with the team since he was hired as a scout in 2009 and is given credit for identifying D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson in their respective drafts. West’s departure was a mutual decision that was reached in the past few days, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. His contract had expired and he and the organization agreed that he had “reached a ceiling” in his current role.
- Salary cap expert David Kelly, who serves as general counsel for the Warriors, shares his perspective on an eventful offseason with Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Klay Thompson had assured Golden State officials that he was staying, which eliminated one worry when they got official notice that Kevin Durant was leaving for the Nets. The focus immediately shifted to Russell, whom the team had targeted as a potential option several months before. Kelly had to work through a complex series of maneuvers before a sign-and-trade with Brooklyn could be legally completed.
Ben Simmons Won’t Play In Australia’s Exhibition Games
Ben Simmons has changed his mind about playing in exhibition games with Australia’s World Cup team, relays Roy Ward of The Age.
The Sixers‘ star never planned to participate in the tournament, but he indicated that he wanted to work out with the Boomers and suit up for exhibition contests, including a pair against Team USA. However, Basketball Australia issued a statement today citing Simmons’ “professional obligations,” along with a desire to have the actual World Cup team together for those games.
“After talking with coach Andrej (Lemanis), we both agreed it was better for me to not participate in this year’s 2019 World Cup and exhibition games,” Simmons said. “With our focus being to win a medal at the 2020 Olympics, the Boomers’ preparation in the lead up to the world championships is of the utmost importance and me not playing allows the team to create the chemistry they need to compete at the highest level and qualify for the Olympics. I want to thank Basketball Australia for their continued support and I’m committed and excited to compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.”
Fellow Australian Patty Mills of the Spurs predicts a bright future for Simmons in international play, but said it’s important to focus on the upcoming competition.
“We appreciate his continued support and willingness to still be a valuable part of the team as we prepare for our ultimate goal of winning a medal at the World Champs for the first time,” Mills said. “… Ben will be next in line to play a significant leadership role in carrying on the legacy of our team and what it means to represent the Green and Gold as a Boomer with pride, which we all have done for so long.”
Simmons’ departure follows a long string of withdrawals from Team USA that includes some of the NBA’s biggest stars. Several new invitations to training camp were announced Thursday.
Inside The Rockets’ Trade For Russell Westbrook
Two days before the agreement that brought Russell Westbrook to Houston was completed, Rockets GM Daryl Morey was pessimistic that it would get done, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes in a retrospective of the deal. Feigen traces the steps that led to the Rockets’ latest high-stakes gamble and the Thunder’s decision to part with their franchise player.
Everything began late on July 5 when Kawhi Leonard announced he was joining the Clippers, followed by the news that Oklahoma City was trading Paul George there as well. Morey sent text messages to owner Tilman Fertitta and his son Patrick suggesting that a huge shakeup could be in the works in OKC. Other team officials were included in the discussion the next morning, then Morey talked to James Harden, who had already spoken to Westbrook.
“The discussion at that point among the basketball staff was, ‘Hey, we need to check in and see if this changes the direction.’ I guess there was a thought they might trade other guys like Russell,” Morey said. “You never know. At this point, it was pretty unknown.”
Morey placed a call to Thunder GM Sam Presti, but their early discussions remained general. They spoke frequently over the next few days as international prospects and other players were considered in a deal that eventually became Westbrook for Chris Paul and draft picks. Morey alerted Paul and his representatives that a potential trade was brewing. He also tried unsuccessfully to get a third team involved, although he wouldn’t reveal who he talked to.
“It didn’t seem that there would be a fit for both parties,” Morey said. “I told them (Tilman and Patrick Fertitta) quite a bit that it wasn’t going to happen because that’s what I believed. I didn’t think the pieces lined up. That’s why a three-team deal made sense. And I thought other teams would be more involved than we were; teams that had more fits.”
A day before the deal was completed, Presti expressed a preference for a two-team trade that was heavy on draft picks. The Thunder wound up with Houston’s top-four-protected selections in 2024 and 2026, along with two pick swaps that include top-four protection in 2021 and and top-10 protection in 2025. Once an agreement was reached, Morey tried to expand the deal by involving other teams, but he found interest was low. He said the hardest part was having to tell Paul that their partnership was over after two seasons.
“I hated that call,” Morey said. “I’m sure he hated it more. He’s been such a great player for us. We were moments away from winning a title with him.”
R.J. Hunter To Play In Turkey
R.J. Hunter, a former first-round pick who finished last season with the Celtics, has reached an agreement with Turk Telekom Ankara of the Turkish BSL and Basketball Champions League, relays Nicola Lupo of Sportando.
Hunter got into just one NBA game after signing a two-way contract with Boston in January, but posted an 18.4/5.2/4.0 line in 44 G League games. He became an unrestricted free agent last month when the Celtics decided not to extend a qualifying offer.
Boston took Hunter with the 28th pick in the 2015 draft, but he was never able to make an impact. He played 36 games as a rookie before being waived after one season, then had brief stays with the Bulls and Rockets. He’s got a career average of 3.0 points per night in 45 games.
And-Ones: Lin, James, Harrison, Williams
Point guard Jeremy Lin has received an offer from CSKA Moscow, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Lin is one of the biggest names remaining on the NBA free agent market but has received little interest following a disappointing stint with the champion Raptors. He was expected to be a rotation player in the playoffs after reaching a buyout with the Hawks but only appeared in eight postseason games during the title run, averaging 1.1 PPG in 3.4 MPG. Lin, 30, has appeared in 480 NBA games.
We have more international basketball news:
- Olimpia Milano is looking to part ways with former NBA guard Mike James, Carchia tweets. The Euro team signed another former NBA point guard, Shelvin Mack, on Thursday to essentially replace James. Head coach Ettore Messina informed James there’s no playing time available with the addition of Mack. James played a combined 36 games with the Suns and Pelicans during the 2017/18 season.
- Guard Aaron Harrison will remain in Turkey with Galatasaray, his agent told Carchia (Twitter link). Harrison, 24, last appeared in the NBA with the Mavericks, playing nine games during the 2017/18 season.
- Former Suns and Nets forward Alan Williams will likely sign with Russia’s Lokomotiv Krasnodar, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets. Williams, 26, played five games with Brooklyn last season.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/20/19 – 7/27/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- In our Community Shootaround posts, we asked which team should be considered the Western Conference favorite and what the future holds for ex-Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith.
- Luke Adams took a closer look at how teams used their mid-level and bi-annual exceptions this summer. He also detailed which free agents signed long-term contracts this month.
Five Key Stories: 7/20/19 – 7/27/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
The league has launched a tampering investigation due to early commitments in free agency. Suspicions were raised as some free agent deals were announced immediately upon the arrival of the negotiating period, which began at 6 p.m. Eastern Time on June 30. A few agreements were leaked ahead of that hour, prompting questions about the legality of the process. A number of options are being considered to prevent a repeat in future summers.
Tim Duncan was named an assistant coach with the Spurs. The decision by the future Hall of Fame big man to take a spot on Gregg Popovich’s staff was a surprise to many people around the league. Popovich joked that it was only fitting that the perennial All-Star serve under him “after I served loyally for 19 years as Tim Duncan’s assistant.”
Pau Gasol signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract with the Trail Blazers. The veteran big man finished last season with the Bucks, who let him go as an unrestricted free agent. Gasol, 39, underwent surgery in May to repair a navicular stress fracture in his left foot. He’s expected to make a full recovery in advance of training camp. He’ll provides insurance with Jusuf Nurkic recovering from a serious leg injury suffered in late March.
Reserve swingman Furkan Korkmaz signed a two-year deal with the Sixers after flirting the possibility of playing overseas. Philadelphia renounced its rights to Korkmaz earlier this month and it appeared he was headed overseas to play in Turkey. He ultimately decided to stay in the NBA and he’ll provide depth at the wings behind starters Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson. The Sixers now have 14 players with guaranteed contracts and a pair of two-way players.
Nearly half of the players on Team’s USA original 20-man roster have declined to participate in the FIBA World Cup. Paul Millsap and Kevin Love are the latest defections. Damian Lillard, DeMar DeRozan, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Bradley Beal, CJ McCollum and Eric Gordon have also withdrawn their names.
Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from the past week:
- Kawhi Leonard said he didn’t lead on anyone in free agency. He also claims he never rooted for the Lakers.
- Bradley Beal revealed he’s in no rush to sign an extension with the Wizards.
- The Clippers unveiled their plans to build a new arena.
- The Bucks signed power forward Dragan Bender, who is hoping to turn his career around in the Eastern Conference.
- Point guard Trey Burke signed a one-year contract with the Sixers.
- The Celtics signed four young players, including rookie big man Tacko Fall.
- Veteran center Greg Monroe signed a contract to play in Germany next season.
- The Rockets signed shooting guard Ben McLemore to a two-year contract.
- Brian Wright was promoted to GM by the Spurs while R.C. Buford was given a different title.
- Wizards owner Ted Leonsis acknowledged that John Wall is unlikely to return next season as he mends from an Achilles tear.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kawhi Leonard Addresses Reports He ‘Led On’ Teams in Free Agency
Kawhi Leonard‘s free agency held up a lot of other deals as his three primary suitors, the Lakers, Clippers and Raptors, pushed for his services. The two-time NBA Finals MVP ended up choosing the Clippers after the organization managed to swing a trade for Paul George.
Subsequent reports have suggested the two teams who missed out on Leonard may have felt that Kawhi and/or his representatives led on teams during the recruitment process. On the day he and George were introduced at a press conference, a more-talkative-than-usual Leonard set the record straight to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.
“I didn’t lead anyone on,” Leonard said. “I took my time in free agency, as I should, to make sure I made the best decision for myself and my family. I feel like some of the media coverage over it made it feel that way, with people saying I’m signing with Toronto 99 percent or I’m going to the Lakers 99 percent. I don’t ever want to have that bad karma come back on me trying to make the Lakers miss out on players they should have gotten or vice-versa with the Raptors.”
With his decision, Leonard will become the first player to win an NBA Finals MVP and play for a different team the following season. Leonard’s lone campaign in Toronto was a successful one as the two-time Defensive Player of the Year helped the Raptors advance to and win the first NBA championship in franchise history.
However, the Riverside, California, native had long been known to be seeking to return home. The Lakers and Clippers both represented that opportunity but his childhood fandom for either team had no bearing on his decision.
“Y’all kept saying that me and Paul’s favorite team growing up was the Lakers. I’m not going to say [Yahoo Sports], but whatever media outlet was out there saying that Kawhi prefers the Lakers over the Clippers, or Paul loves the Lakers, was wrong,” Leonard said. “I wasn’t a fan of the Lakers growing up. Not saying that’s why I didn’t choose them, but that’s not what it is. I wasn’t a fan of them, and [Paul] just told you guys he was a Clippers fan.”
At the end of the day, Leonard said the teams in pursuit of him could have pivoted in a different direction at any time if there issues with his approach.
“If they didn’t want to wait for me, they didn’t have to,” Leonard said. “They had a big opportunity to sign me. [The Lakers] were close, but I ended up on the other side.”
Russell Westbrook Talks Rockets, Harden, OKC
After an eventful 11-year run in Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook was officially introduced as the newest member of the Rockets on Friday. For some, it was likely odd to see Westbrook don the Rocket red after it seemed he was destined to conclude his career in a Thunder uniform. For Westbrook, it’s the latest chapter in his pursuit for a championship.
In addition to his new team, Westbrook addressed James Harden, a former teammate in OKC and now his co-star in a chase for the Larry O’Brien trophy. ‘Brodie’ also addressed his departure from the Thunder and how he thinks he will adjust to Houston’s style of play, per ESPN’s Royce Young.
Check out Westbrook’s comments down below:
On leaving Oklahoma City:
“It’s tough. It’s something that will stay with me the rest of my life. Because I basically grew up there, in Oklahoma City. Eighteen years old in Oklahoma City and the people, the organization, never done me wrong. They always stood up for me and my family — always had my back — and I’m very, very grateful and I don’t take that for granted. Like I said, Sam [Presti] and Mr. [Clay] Bennett [OKC’s owner], Coach [Scott] Brooks, Coach [Billy] Donovan, the whole staff, everybody over there always had my best interests, and I can’t do nothing but be thankful and grateful for what they did for me and my family.”
On being teammates with former MVP James Harden:
“We both understand that we have one common goal and that’s to win a championship. We understand what we have to do. I’m not worried about it, and I know James isn’t worried about it. I can play off the ball; I don’t have to touch the ball to impact the game. That’s the best way for me to come in and impact this team. I can do other things on the floor to make sure we have a better chance to win.”
On joining a new system in Houston:
“I’ll fit right in, personally. Floor spread, it gives me the opportunity to attack, penetrate, kick. Defensively, it’ll give me an opportunity to switch and guard and rebound at a high level. Push the break, get us out on the break. A lot of different things. I think the style of play is great, something I’m looking forward to, just getting out in space in the open floor, shooters all around and playing that way.”