In the summer of 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers were prepared to push all their chips in. Following the blockbuster acquisition of Anthony Davis, the plan was clear: form a new big three with Davis, LeBron James, and a superstar unrestricted free agent—Kawhi Leonard.
At the time, Leonard was arguably the crown jewel of a loaded free-agent class that included Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson. Fresh off a championship and Finals MVP with the Toronto Raptors, every team wanted him. But realistically, the race came down to three contenders: the Raptors, the Lakers, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard Didn’t Want To Play With the Lakers’ Star
Gotta have the Latest from LA + LUKA Mind-meld
However, as Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star revealed, Leonard’s decision wasn’t just about dollars or market size. “The Raptors believed there was a real chance he would return instead of going to the Clippers despite the lure of Leonard’s home state of California,” Arthur wrote. “Leonard didn’t want to play with LeBron James, so the Lakers were a third wheel in the sweepstakes. Jimmy Butler, a preferred partner, was headed to Miami. And Leonard recognized that Toronto was the best basketball situation, all told.”
Leonard ultimately chose the Clippers, leaving the Lakers empty-handed and setting off a ripple effect across the league. Ironically, the Lakers went on to win the NBA title that season, while the Clippers faltered in the second round of the playoffs. Six years later, the Lakers have maintained consistent success, including a championship, whereas the Clippers’ highlight remains a single Western Conference Finals appearance.
The decision has taken on new layers of intrigue in light of a recent report from Pablo Torre of The Athletic. Torre alleges that Clippers sponsor Aspiration paid Leonard $48 million for a “no-show” role, a deal intended to skirt the NBA salary cap. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer reportedly invested $50 million in the company, and Leonard allegedly did no work in exchange for the payout.
“The Lakers wanted Kawhi badly,” one NBA executive told ESPN. “Boy, they dodged a massive bullet by not landing him. You think Rich [Paul] and LeBron are hard to deal with? Uncle Dennis is even worse. He thinks Kawhi is the second coming of Jesus.”
The executive added, “The guy barely plays, doesn’t market the team he’s on, and now he’s in the news for the wrong reasons for the second time since signing with the Clippers. This has been a huge headache for Ballmer and Co.”
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer addressed the report on SportsCenter, emphasizing the company investment and clarifying his limited involvement with Leonard. “We made an investment in the company,” Ballmer said. “I had no control over this company. At the time, it was an exciting deal for us to go do. We had already signed our deal with Kawhi Leonard.”
While the NBA investigates the situation, one thing is clear: by passing on Leonard, the Lakers may have avoided both logistical and reputational headaches. A potential big three that included Davis, LeBron, and Leonard might have looked unstoppable on paper, but according to multiple reports, it also could have brought a level of drama the Lakers were fortunate to sidestep.