John
Kawhi Leonard’s time with the Los Angeles Clippers hasn’t panned out the way team owner Steve Ballmer had hoped.
While the two-time NBA champ has shown flashes of brilliance over the past five seasons, Leonard’s time in LA has largely been defined by lingering knee problems that have limited his time on court.
Throughout his tenure with the Clippers, Leonard has played 65+ games, the league minimum to be eligible for end-of-season awards, once, while averaging just 53 games per season.
Now, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, the team is quote, “done” building around Leonard, and is preparing for him to play out the final two years of his deal.
“Multiple GMs and other league executives said they expect Leonard to play out his contract with the Clippers, which is set to end after the 2026-27 season. But even then, one former staffer said, the organization’s focus has shifted.’They’re done building around [Kawhi],’ he said. ‘They know that and he knows that.'”
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Part of the reason LA may be “done” with building around Leonard, of course, is the NBA‘s ongoing investigation into a sponsorship deal the two-time champ had with Aspiration.
While there’s no telling how long it will take the league to investigate the matter, depending on the league’s findings, the Clippers could be penalized similar to the way the Minnesota Timberwolves were in 2000.
In the meantime, as ClutchPoints reported earlier in the summer, Kawhi Leonard is doing everything he can to make sure his body is ready for the 82-game season and a deep playoff run.
According to a report from the outlet back in June, Clippers GM Lawrence Frank indicated that the six-time All-Star trained through the NBA Finals to help himself prepare for a potential postseason run with LA during the 2025-26 season.
Whether he can make the most of the final two years of his deal and finally bring a title to LA, only time will tell.
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