When the Los Angeles Clippers paired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the summer of 2019, arguably the two best two-way players in the league, many NBA analysts believed this franchise was finally ready for its first historic title.
Five seasons later, despite some memorable performances, it's becoming clear that the project has failed. Leonard was unable to accomplish what he had with the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors , and injuries were a key factor in the whole story.
ESPN's Baxter Holmes reports that even the Clippers themselves have grown tired of Kawhi's chronic injury problems. The situation surrounding his circumvention of the salary cap through sponsorship deals was probably the last straw.
"Multiple GM's and other league executives said they expect Leonard to play out his contract with the Clippers, which is set to end after the 2026-27 season. But even then, one former staffer said, the organization's focus has shifted. 'They're done building around [Kawhi],' he said. 'They know that and he knows that,'" Baxter exclaimed.
When we look at The Klaw's stint in Los Angeles , we conclude that the team never reached the conference finals. The closest they came was in 2020 in the Orlando Bubble, when they blew a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets in the WCSF. In total, in five seasons, due to injury issues, he missed 132 regular-season games, and the Clippers could never manage to find a winning rhythm.
They tried besides George with various superstars like James Harden , Russell Westbrook and John Wall , but in the end, none of that worked. Kawhi's tenure with the Clippers was disappointing because Kawhi underperformed in terms of his availability. Still, he absolutely dominated whenever he was on the floor, but it was only in short stints.
Now that the Clippers have clearly given up on building around Leonard, who is already 34 years old, it will be interesting to see which direction they take, given that they have the oldest roster ever assembled, with an average age of 33.2.
Although the story will probably end badly for both sides, the fact that Kawhi couldn't truly contribute to his team due to injuries should not condemn him entirely. Kawhi is not the first nor the last whose career was hampered due to injuries, as Tyronn Lue shuts down media narratives about Kawhi's injuries and load management .
"I feel sorry for him cause all the work he puts in, we see it every day, and just what it takes to get on the floor on a consistent basis. It takes a lot for him to get out there, and so it's not like he's wanting to sit out and miss games. He puts the work in every single day, and the grind that he has to do to even get on the floor to play, it's just tough," said Lue.
The frustration of the Clippers front office and fans is, of course, understandable because they know that Kawhi is one of the rare players in the Association who can directly decide the outcome of a game. Whenever he steps on the floor, he shows it.
They were patient with Leonard, that has to be clearly stated, but after last season's elimination by the Nuggets in seven tense games, it's obvious that the organization has concluded that with Leonard they will never go all the way and that they need to turn in a new direction.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
