He gone.
After leading the 海角社区官网Raptors on an exhilarating run to the NBA championship and reclaiming his spot at the absolute upper echelon of basketball today, Kawhi Leonard has decided to return closer to his California roots.
League sources confirmed overnight reports from ’s Adrian Wojnarowski and others that Leonard has chosen to join the Clippers after Los Angeles pulled off a stunning transaction to also get Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Leonard鈥檚 contract with Clippers will be worth $142 million (all figures U.S.) over four years 鈥 not the five-year, $190 million deal he could have received from the Raptors 鈥 and his departure also cost 海角社区官网the services of free agent forward Danny Green.
Green was inextricably linked to Leonard in 海角社区官网and he鈥檚 taking a two-year, $25 million deal from the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Clippers will give up Toronto-born second-year point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, four unprotected first-round draft picks, two other picks with some protection on them and the right to swap draft choices in two other seasons, an astonishing haul for the Thunder.
The Leonard move, which can鈥檛 become official until the league鈥檚 signing moratorium is lifted Saturday at noon, ends days of wild speculation, some of it informed, some of it manufactured, none of it coming from either Leonard or the Raptors.
In the end, the 28-year-old Leonard turned away advances from both the Lakers and a chance to re-sign with NBA champion Raptors to take another shot at the title closer to his San Diego home.
The departure is a blow for Toronto, Raptors president Masai Ujiri, general manager Bobby Webster, coach Nick Nurse and Leonard鈥檚 teammates, all of whom were central to Leonard鈥檚 year that culminated in him winning an NBA Finals most valuable player award for the second time in his career.
The Raptors don鈥檛 have much financial wiggle room or a deep free agent pool to pick from to even fill out the roster now that Leonard and Green are not a part of it.
They will have the so-called full mid-level cap exception of just over $9 million to dangle in front of free agents and also the 鈥渂iannual鈥 exception of about $4.6 million.
However, the free agent market has been picked over and there鈥檚 not really much outside help left available.
Ujiri could look to trade any of his veterans for younger players on longer term deals or he could wait and see how a team centred around Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Norm Powell looks to start the season.
After missing all but nine games of the 2017-18 season with the San Antonio Spurs because of a nagging leg injury he never felt was treated correctly, Leonard joined 海角社区官网in a blockbuster deal for DeMar DeRozan almost exactly one year ago.
With some of the most intensive care and rehabilitation program a player of his stature has ever undergone, Leonard returned to being one of the best players in the league and rediscovered his joy for the sport.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 going to come back until I could be the player I am today,鈥 he said after Toronto鈥檚 six-game victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. 鈥淚 wanted to come back in the same shape and form without coming out playing five games and then re-injuring something. I wanted to be able to play the season 鈥 or what did I this year. I wasn鈥檛 able to play 82, but I鈥檓 happy that I got to the 60 games.
鈥淛ust being able to win this championship this year is just something special for me because you know how the last year everybody was looking at me, and I stayed true to myself, and I had a great support system. And once I got here to 海角社区官网they understood everything and kept moving from there.鈥
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Along the way, Leonard provided Raptors fans with some of the most iconic moments in the 25-year history of the franchise.
His shot that bounced around the rim four times before falling into to beat the Philadelphia 76ers at the buzzer of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals will be remembered as the most dramatic shot ever made by a Raptor.
His left-handed dunk over Giannis Antetokounmpo turned the tide in the Eastern Conference finals and will be the most memorable moment of Toronto鈥檚 six-game triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks.
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