Kawhi Leonard is the biggest star on the Los Angeles Clippers, so it stands to reason that he has more sway than some of his teammates.
How much pull does the 31-year-old have, exactly?
Enough to go to the front office and highlight who he wants them to acquire ahead of February’s NBA Trade Deadline. Given how unabashed he has been about criticizing his team after their losses, management will undoubtedly take Leonard’s concerns seriously.
This week, a report surfaced revealing Leonard’s role in the Clippers’ activity on the trade market ahead of Feb. 9.
“Kawhi Leonard has made it clear to the Clippers front office that he would welcome a point guard addition,” Matt Moore of The Action Network reported this week.
“And it’s no surprise that two of his former teammates on his championship Raptors team, [Kyle] Lowry and [Fred] VanVleet, are on their short list of targets.”
Los Angeles added John Wall over the summer in hopes that he would plug their longstanding hole at point guard. Unfortunately, he just hasn’t been able to do so consistently.
Currently the Clippers are 28-25 on the year and sit fourth in the Western Conference.
Everyone agrees that if this group gets healthy and makes maybe one or two moves ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline, they will be right there in the title chase.
But will either of those things actually materialize? It’s unclear.
The Heat have been telling everyone that Lowry isn’t on the market and the Raptors have three other suitors for VanVleet.
Whether the Clippers have enough to offer either Miami or Toronto to make something happen remains to be seen.
Erin Andrews’ outfit for her interview with #49ers QB Brock Purdy causes a stir. https://t.co/aCzCbOoRB4
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When the Clippers originally got Leonard and Paul George, the assumption was that they would reign over the Western Conference for many years to come. To date, that hasn’t happened.
If Los Angeles doesn’t pull a rabbit out of a hat ahead of this year’s NBA Trade Deadline and fails to legitimately compete for a title again, Leonard and George may go down as one of the most disappointing dynamic duos of all time.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
