Coming into the season, Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers had a major scandal hang over them. It was reported that the Clippers may have circumvented the salary cap in order to sign Leonard to his contract and owner Steve Ballmer funneled the money through the now-defunct company, Aspiration.
It has been months and no one knows what the resolution to this saga will be. From Leonard having his contract voided to LA forfeiting draft picks, anything is on the table. Leonard’s future with the Clippers was already in question, after the team got younger at the deadline and the forward is only getting older.Â
The Aspiration saga only adds to the uncertainty, so it is anyone’s guess as to where Leonard will play next season. There is one team though that would make the most sense.
The Golden State Warriors would be the perfect fit for Kawhi Leonard
The Warriors were set up to be a potential contender this season, but after Jimmy Butler tore his ACL, those hopes completely vanished. They checked in on Giannis Antetokounmpo and scoured the trade market for upgrades, but the only move they ended up making was for Kristaps Porzingis.
Golden State has not been shy about wanting to win as long as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are in the fold. If Leonard’s contract is voided, they easily become a top landing spot for him.
Leonard is coming off one of his healthiest seasons in recent memory. In the 65 games he played, he averaged 28 points per game, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals on 51 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.
Leonard was one of the more dominant players in the entire league and has a legitimate case to be an All-NBA first teamer this year. Pairing him with Curry, who has shown no signs of slowing down, would make the Warriors a force to be reckoned with next season.
Leonard might also be willing to take a cheaper deal to compete for a championship, if his contract were to be voided. If that is the case, then Golden State may be able to have a core four of Curry, Butler, Green, and Leonard. Along with the emergence of Brandin Podziemski and Gui Santos, and hopefully a healthier season from Porzingis, things could look brighter quickly in the Bay Area.
Leonard is still one of the more elite talents in the league. If he wants to maximize the rest of his career, the Warriors should be at the top of his list of landing spots, if he were to become a free agent this summer. We almost got the Chef and the Klaw team-up at last Olympics. Now, we could get ti at the NBA level.
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