Getty Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors celebrates his teams win over the Golden State Warriors.
The Clippers pulled off a pair of blockbuster deals to bring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George onboard in order to build out a superteam to rival their roommates in the Los Angeles Lakers. While the Clippers lost exciting young player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari in the process, they were able to bring George on board by enticing the Thunder with an incredible haul of future picks.
The move re-ignites the Los Angeles rivalry as the duo of Leonard and George is strong enough on paper to compare to the Lakers’ duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The two teams share a division and building meaning we get MULTIPLE star-studded showdowns each season.
Clippers Roster & Starting Lineup After Kawhi Leonard Signing
* – Denotes Expected Starter
PG: Patrick Beverley*,
SG: Kawhi Leonard*, Lou Williams, Landry Shamet, Jerome Robinson, Rodney McGruder
SF Paul George*, Terance Mann, Maurice Harkless
PF: Montrezl Harrell*
C: Ivica Zubac, Mfiondu Kabengele
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Clippers Remaining Free Agency Needs
While the Clippers made a splash for Leonard, they still need to bring on a quality power forward. Montrezl Harrell is capable of playing either the power forward or center however their lack of frontcourt depth will likely force them into adding another player or two in order to bolster that spot moving forward.
Paul George could slide up to play power forward and Leonard up to small forward, opening up Landry Shamet to step into a larger starting role and it ends up being a realistic possibility that the Clippers go this route. Still, look for them to add depth to their frontcourt in free agency. One potential target for the Clippers could be JaMychal Green, who is capable of playing both the power forward or center position and can step back and hit the open deep ball. There isn’t much of a market left and the Clippers could potentially get him on a cheap minimum deal if things play out in their favor. Kenneth Faried might be a viable option as well as things seem to be falling apart between him and the Rockets despite producing at a high level in their system.
The Clippers could also add a backup point guard as while they have a number of shooting guards, they lack a traditional back-up floor general to run the offense when Beverley and the starters sit. While Rajon Rondo seems likely to head to the Lakers, Quinn Cook and Jeremy Lin are both affordable options that the Clippers could target to back up Beverley and help run the second unit.
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