Kawhi Leonard is the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week and Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group believes it’s time for the Clippers to see what they can get in a trade for the oft-injured star forward.
Leonard’s tenure with Los Angeles has largely been disappointing, Swanson writes, but he has been on a tear during the team’s five-game winning streak and is having another highly productive season. Even if the Clippers claw their way back into the play-in picture and advance to the playoffs, they may end up having to play the Thunder in the first round, likely resulting in another early exit.
Instead of continuing with Leonard, the Clips would be better off trying to acquire draft picks or a younger star to expedite the next iteration of the team, since the current group isn’t competing for anything meaningful, Swanson opines.
Here’s more on the Clippers, who are currently facing the shorthanded Jazz:
- Is L.A.’s recent hot streak sustainable? Law Murray of The Athletic considers that question, writing that Leonard and James Harden have each been carrying an enormous offensive workload after several offseason moves didn’t work out for various reasons. “I’ve never really kind of been in this situation,” Leonard said. “I’m more trying to get guys the ball and just sharing it more than what I’ve been doing. But the coaches need me to be aggressive, all the entire game.” The answer to the question could dictate the Clippers’ trade-deadline plans.
- After a brutal 6-21 start, the Clippers have been playing much better defensively of late in no small part due to the efforts of Kris Dunn, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Dunn says the team’s renewed commitment to defense started with the Dec. 20 victory over the Lakers. “Everybody just had that juice that day and everybody went out there and we like to call it a ‘hit.’ We had been in a rut for awhile and I think everybody just collectively was like, you know what, the only way we are getting out of this is if we do our jobs,” Dunn said. “Everybody went out there and just played their hearts out.”
- Injured center Ivica Zubac has begun on-court work in his recovery from a Grade 2 left ankle sprain, according to Murray (Twitter link). Zubac is expected to return to action at some point in mid-January. Veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanovic will miss at least two more games due to a hamstring injury and his status for next week’s three-game road trip is up in the air, Murray adds.
What a dumb proposition, but I guess that you’ve gotta write something when the article is due.
So the premise is that Kawhi, the player who famously refused to play another game for the Spurs after feeling mistreated, the player who won a championship with great pieces around him, in Toronto, and STILL decided to leave, and who, presumably, has total control of how long he takes to rehab injuries, is just gonna let the Clippers trade him to whatever team provides them the best offer?
If Siakam could, essentially, veto a trade to the Hawks before ending up in Indiana, what the hell do you think Kawhi is gonna do?
Ffs, the man is FROM California! He’s not going anywhere.
Thank you. Literally more likely that LeBron gets dealt
Certainly not since they’ve flipped the switch back to being competitive. Ballmer wants to win. They will be buyers, not sellers.
Their owner is not tanking so I agree it was a stupid article from a writer needing content.
See what they can get? Well that would be nothing as no one is going to be mad enough to trade for Kawhi because he’s currently not injured.
I think thats the bigger point. Doesn’t seem a lot of teams would want him and dennis touching the franchise. Still a great player and clippers get nothing from losing. I don’t think they would get a great haul for him.
Ballmer would never. And so what if they “may end up having to play the Thunder in the first round” – it’s not like the team without Kawhi would have a better chance.
Leonard is playing for a contract. They are not winning anytime soon.
I don’t see how anyone could give Leonard a contract for more than the veterans minimum.
And I don’t see him playing for the minimum.
Of all the idiotic things that I have ever read in these comments, this is easily top 3.
You think he is not playing for another contract. Leonard is a selfish fraud.
Everyone in the NBA is playing for another contract. That’s irrelevant. What I found idiotic is this doofus talking about him not being able to see how anyone could offer Kawhi more than the veteran’s minimum.
Stupid comments like that should get your ability to comment revoked.
The Lakers had 4 starters out against the Clippers, with only 41 year old LeBron playing, and they took that as motivation when they beat the Lakers!?
Maybe coach Lue should have had them playing against junior high school team to get them really pumped up!
Nobody is trading for Kawhi. Just like no one is trading for Bron. Kawhi playing 23 gms and 34 mins. Is most impressive thing. Yet he’s still missed 10 games. Thats 30% of the his gms. He will be 35 in June. And has one more yr after this one at 50 mill.
Do you really need to know why he is playing well.
Zubac was having a career yr. This in his 10th year in the L. I would say, about time. Lopez has played well in Zubac absence. Playing starter mins and winning.
Another big getting a chance to play is Kings Raynaud. Some good Kings news. Last 5 gms starting 14 pts n 8.5 Reb a game. Great pickup in 2nd rd. He is playing like the best center in his draft right now. 4 yr college player.
I told everyone to draft him….
What you’re saying makes no sense. First of all, regardless of the current percentage of games that he has played, the season is ongoing, so that number will continue to rise. The average NBA star player has missed about the same number of games, this season, so I don’t even get your point, here.
Secondly, your assertion that he is playing well simply because his contract is running out makes no sense either because he is not in his contract year. He could easily coast, this season, and put in a better effort in the last year of his contract, if that is the argument you’re trying to make.
He’s playing as well as he is because he is able to reach that level and guys just can defend against it. That’s the entire reason that they’ve been paying him like they do, in the first place.
If I’m a GM, I am not trying to sign Leonard to a large contract.
The guy is always hurt.
It’s no different than the draft when teams take a player off of their draft board due to their medical history.
I think it would be dumb for anyone to tie up a large portion of their salary cap to a player that misses that many games.