Good news on the free agency rumor mill for one LA team. Kawhi Leonard is expected to re-sign with the Clippers in free agency this summer. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, unless something major changes, Leonard should end up back in blue and red next season.
For the Clippers this means they can lay out their future plans assuming that Kawhi is going to continue to be a centerpiece for the organization. This season, the 2x NBA Finals MVP is averaging 25.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists a game. His career averages are 19.2/6.4/2.9 respectively. He has stayed away from long-term contracts, but the Clips will surely try to lock him down for an extensive period of time.
The No. 1 free agent on the market should come as no surprise: Kawhi Leonard. A look at the latest intel on that front, and how the Clippers have continued to try to make him comfortable. https://t.co/5wOI18af2n pic.twitter.com/oWb7snqXge
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) April 7, 2021
Along with Paul George, Leonard has led the Clippers to the third-best record in the Western Conference. They currently sit 5 games behind the best record in the league, Utah Jazz. As teams prepare for the Playoffs, the Lakers and Clips have made moves to bolster their rosters. While the Lakers have added Andre Drummond and Ben McLemore, the Clippers just added DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day contract. Expect Cousins to stay with them the rest of the season.
There are multiple teams with championship rosters in the league this season. The Clippers are definitely built to make a deep run in June. Right now they would be paired up against the Portland Trailblazers in the first round. The matchup would be interesting as Dame Lillard against Kawhi and PG13 would make for some fireworks. There should be a good race for the last few seeds in the West.
