A few days ago, I wrote an article about how the NBA was going to be wide open this season. Sure, there were some teams better than the rest, but there were a good amount of teams that could say they were contending. However, as I pointed out, the big thing missing from my deductions was the fact that Kawhi Leonard, the league's premier free agent, had yet to sign with a team. Well, during the wee hours of today morning, Kawhi made his decision. He would join the Los Angeles Clippers on a 4-year max contract and team up with Lou Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and company.
Now, you might be thinking: How does this change the equality of the NBA? The Clippers got the best player in the league, but other 2 superstar tandems could easily defeat them. Enter: Paul George. In one of the most surprising trades ever, the Clippers shipped 6 first round picks(yes, you read that right), Gallinari, and Gilgeous-Alexander for PG13. Now, the Clippers have one of the best teams in the entire league and are clear cut championship favorites.
Let's give it up for both Steve Ballmer and Sam Presti. Ballmer, the Clippers GM, not only convinced Kawhi away from the team he had just won a championship with, but also got him some great help. Yes, it came at a costly price, but an MVP candidate like George will cost a lot. The Clips now have an unstoppable defense anchored by Patrick Beverly, George, and Leonard. Meanwhile, Presti, the Thunder GM, should also receive plaudits. After too many first-round exits to count, he knew that it was time to reset. The Thunder got the largest armada of picks ever sent to a team in NBA History, and there were some gems like the Miami unprotected first round pick in 2021.
Poor, poor Lakers. They had their sights set on Leonard and were confident that they would land him, forming a big three of Kawhi, LeBron, and Anthony Davis. Instead, Kawhi chose the Lakers' cross-town rival, which had to hurt, and the very same cross-town rival traded for a player that famously declined to give the Lakers an interview last year. They also signed Danny Green to a 2 year, 30 million dollar deal. Yikes.
Kawhi choosing the Clips rather than the Lakers is very good for the league. Going to the Lakers would have just created another super-team that would be unstoppable. Now, teams like the Nuggets, Jazz, Bucks, Sixers, and Nets still have hope of a championship, although the Clippers are a very formidable opponent.
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