On This Day: LA Clippers Land Kawhi Leonard, Paul George in Historic Move
The LA Clippers have undergone numerous changes in the last decade, but none more significant than when the franchise managed to land Kawhi Leonard and Paul George — then considered to be two of the top 10 players in the NBA — on the same day: July 5, 2019.
The days leading up to the announcement weren't easy for Clippers fans to bear. Just about every league analyst believed Leonard would choose the Los Angeles Lakers or Toronto Raptors over the Clippers, while an abundance of amateur "insiders" claimed that Kawhi to the Lakers was already a done deal.
But later that night, Yahoo's Chris Haynes tipped the first domino over with the following tweet:
With that, the Kawhi sweepstakes effectively came to an end, and Clippers fans could begin celebrating.
Minutes later though, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski shocked the basketball world by announcing what else LA had managed to achieve: Trading for MVP Finalist and California native Paul George.
The Clippers had to give up a lot in the process, including sending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari to the Oklahoma City Thunder. But it was clear to see that LA was building what could become a perennial title contender, with two of the league's most versatile players on the same roster.
By now, we should have had the results of Leonard and George's first season together, but the coronavirus pandemic led to a four-month-long stoppage of play that will delay the end of the season to mid-October. That said, what we've seen so far from this duo is impressive enough.
Although they've both been limited by injuries, Leonard and George have posted some of the best numbers of their careers with the Clippers this season. Leonard is averaging career-highs in points, rebounds and assists, while George has been almost as efficient as he was during his MVP-caliber season in OKC.
They've only played together in 32 of LA's 64 games this season, and unsurprisingly, the Clippers play their best basketball with both stars on the floor. LA is 24-8 with a +8.4 point differential in that scenario.
Their best game together took place on December 13, when they combined for 88 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists in a 124-117 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. George went 17-of-31 from the field, while Leonard made all 19 of his free throw attempts. The pair became the first teammates in LA Clippers history to score 40+ points each in a single game.
It might be a while before we see these two put together another performance like this one, but one positive of the NBA suspension is that it's given both players ample time to rest and recover.
With the NBA's return less than a month off, fans won't have to wait long to see Leonard and George take the floor once again.
