Tencent Sports: According to the well-known American gossip website TMZ, on April 20th Beijing time, in the view of Clippers guard Patrick Beverley, if they acquire Kawhi Leonard this summer, they will have hit the jackpot.
Blackbay welcomes Leonard to join the Clippers
It is undeniable that, in the current situation, there is a conflict between Leonard and the Spurs.
During the Spurs' playoff campaign, Leonard was alone in New York for recovery training. He was not with the team or his teammates and did not show any support for the team through concrete actions. Even after head coach Gregg Popovich lost his wife, Leonard didn't offer his regards to his mentor.
While people were speculating that Leonard would leave the Spurs this summer, it was reported yesterday that the Spurs had no plans to trade Leonard. "I have a very reliable source who knows exactly what's going on between the Spurs and Leonard." " Famous NBA reporter Mark Stein said, "The Spurs are constantly sending signals at present that they won't trade away Leonard."
According to the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement, Leonard has the right to sign an early contract extension with the Spurs this summer on the designated veteran clause. He can sign an additional five-year contract on top of his current one, and his total salary for the next six seasons will reach 219 million US dollars. But the question is, will the Spurs offer this contract extension this summer? Will Leonard sign this contract extension?
Some league executives believe that Leonard would want to go to the Lakers. I think the Lakers will pursue Leonard. Once everything with the Spurs this season is settled, Leonard wants to go to Los Angeles. He probably won't make his request public, but he has this tendency. A senior executive disclosed, "He will become a free agent in 2019. He was born in Los Angeles. He can let other teams know that he doesn't want to sign with any other team except the Lakers next year."
It is obvious that all signs now indicate that Leonard will part ways with the Spurs. As for which team he will join, only time will tell. However, no matter what, it is believed that every team in the league is eager to acquire Leonard, a player who excels both offensively and defensively, including the Clippers.
I don't know if he's the player we're lacking. What I mean is, we're talking about Leonard. He's the best defender in this league apart from me. Beverley said, "He is the best defensive player in the league. Which team wouldn't want him?" If we can get him, it will be a big win. This is not a decision I can make, but I like our current team. If we can stay healthy, we will cause trouble for many teams. We will get better.
During the regular season of this year, Leonard only played 9 games for the Spurs. During this period, he averaged 23.4 minutes per game, scoring 16.2 points, grabbing 4.7 rebounds and dishing out 2.3 assists. His field goal percentage was 46.8% and his three-point shooting percentage was 31.4%.
