Los Angeles Clippers

For the second time in three years, Kawhi Leonard will become a free agent after reportedly declining his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers. 

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the 30-year-old has turned down his $36 million salary for the 2021-22 season. Wojnarowski noted the expectation is Leonard will negotiate a new deal to remain with the Clippers. 

Leonard remains a dominant player when he's healthy, but his minutes have been carefully managed in recent seasons. The five-time All-Star missed the Clippers' final eight playoff games in 2021 with an unspecified knee injury. 

The team announced on July 13 that Leonard underwent surgery to repair a partially torn ACL but did not specify a return timetable. 

Prior to the knee issue, Leonard was averaging 30.4 points on 57.3 percent shooting with 7.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per contest in 11 playoff games. 

Leonard's decision to opt out wasn't totally unexpected, though it doesn't mean he is looking to leave Los Angeles. 

In April, Sam Amick and John Hollinger of The Athletic reported executives around the NBA were expecting him to re-sign with the Clippers. As a 10-year veteran, he will be eligible for the 35 percent max extension worth at least $39,344,970 per season. 

Obviously, things can change when other teams get in on the bidding. ESPN's Brian Windhorst named the Miami Heat as a possible destination for Leonard in March. 

The five-time All-Star was half of the Clippers' bounty during the 2019 offseason. He helped orchestrate Paul George's trade to Los Angeles, though it came at a steep price with the Clippers sending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, first-round picks in 2021 (from Miami Heat), 2022, 2023 (from Miami Heat), 2024 and 2026, and the right to swap first-round picks in 2023 and 2025.

The Clippers signed Leonard to a three-year, $103.1 million deal in July 2019, and he helped them become one of the best teams in the Western Conference right away. They had the second-best record in the West (49-23) but flamed out in the second round after blowing a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets. 

Prior to the start of this season, Jovan Buha of The Athletic detailed some of the chemistry issues the Clippers had in 2019-20. He noted some team members were upset that Leonard and George were given preferential treatment, including personal security guards, trainers and power over the practice schedule.

Despite some apparent internal strife, George committed to Los Angeles by signing a four-year, $190 million extension that tied him to the team through the 2023-24 season with a player option for 2024-25.  

The Clippers had another strong regular season in 2020-21. They were the No. 4 seed in the West with a 47-25 record and had the second-best net rating (plus-6.2) in the conference. 

Things didn't work out the way Leonard would have liked in the postseason. The Clippers wound up losing to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals without their superstar.

Leonard has averaged 26.0 points on 48.8 percent shooting, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 109 starts over the past two seasons. 

Veteran guard DeMar DeRozan could be an option for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, according to Andrew Greif and Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

Greif described DeRozan as a "target of the team’s interest," while Turner noted the 31-year-old had his eyes on joining the Los Angeles Lakers before they traded for Russell Westbrook last week.

DeRozan is from Compton and went to USC, creating a homecoming opportunity with either the Lakers or Clippers.

The challenge could be the salary after the guard made $27.7 million last season with the San Antonio Spurs. If he does not agree to a significant pay cut, it might take a sign-and-trade for the Clippers to add him.

Los Angeles will want to make sure it has enough room to retain Kawhi Leonard, who will be a free agent if he declines his $36 million player option.

The Clippers will need to replace Leonard's production either way with the forward expected to miss significant time with a torn ACL suffered during the playoffs. They still have a perennial All-Star in Paul George, but no one else averaged more than 14 points per game last season.

DeRozan can provide an immediate boost offensively after averaging at least 20 points per game in each of the last eight years.

The four-time All-Star averaged 21.6 points per game in 2020-21, adding a career-high 6.9 assists per game.

Los Angeles already has other quality defenders like George, Patrick Beverley and Marcus Morris, but DeRozan's offensive ability could be extremely valuable.

DeRozan also enters free agency with 58 games worth of playoff experience, leading the Toronto Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016. This could help as the Clippers look to build off their run to the Western Conference Finals this past season.

There could still be competition for the veteran's services with Turner listing the Dallas Mavericks as a potential landing spot.

Serge Ibaka is staying with the Los Angeles Clippers. 

The veteran forward reportedly exercised his $9.7 million player option for the 2021-22 season on Saturday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. 

Ibaka, 31, had an up-and-down 2020-21 season in his first campaign with the Clippers. When healthy, he averaged 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, shooting 51 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from three. His rim protection and ability to stretch the floor on offense made him an upgrade over the team's big man options from seasons past. 

But injuries also cost him 31 games during the regular season and all but two brief appearances in the first round of the postseason. 

It's clear Ibaka wants another shot at getting a title with the Clippers next season. After his injury-plagued 2020-21 campaign, it's also questionable whether he could have gotten a better deal on the market. The Clippers will be hoping he can stay healthier than his debut campaign. If he does, L.A. should again be a major title threat, assuming Kawhi Leonard doesn't miss the entirety of the season. 

If he struggles to stay on the court, though, the team will again be without arguably its best interior player.  Leonard and Paul George haven't fully lived up to the enormous expectations placed on them when they teamed up in Los Angeles, and they need key role players like Ibaka to help get them over the hump.

The Los Angeles Clippers will add explosive guard Keon Johnson out of Tennessee after he went No. 21 overall in Thursday's NBA draft.

The New York Knicks originally owned the No. 21 pick but reportedly dealt the selection to the Clips for No. 25 overall and a future second-round selection, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report

Player: Keon Johnson

Position: SG/SF

Height: 6'5"

Pro Comparison: Keldon Johnson

Scouting Report: Explosive and quick, Johnson puts pressure on the rim and opposing ball-handlers defensively. His athleticism is ahead of his skill level, but flashes of slashing, post scoring and secondary playmaking create some optimism about his potential to keep developing.

Clippers Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)

Paul George, SG: $44.1M (2025)

Kawhi Leonard, SF: $36M (Player option)

Marcus Morris Sr., SF: $16M (2024)

Luke Kennard, SG: $13.8M (2025)

Patrick Beverley, PG: $13.3M (2022)

Serge Ibaka, C: $9.7M (Player option)

Rajon Rondo, PG: $7.5M (2022)

Ivica Zubac, C: $7M (2023)

Keon Johnson, SG/SF: $2.1M (projected first-year salary, per RealGM)

Terance Mann, SG: $1.4M (2023)

Daniel Oturu, C: $1.2M (2022)

Yogi Ferrell, PG: $1.1M (2022)

Jason Preston, PG (No. 33 overall pick)

Brandon Boston Jr., F (No. 51 overall pick)

        

Free Agents

Patrick Patterson, PF: UFA

Nicolas Batum, SF: UFA

Reggie Jackson, PG: UFA

DeMarcus Cousins, C: UFA

Amir Coffey, SG: RFA

The former 5-star recruit had a slow start to his college career, scoring in single digits in 10 of his first 15 games as a freshman. He showed his upside down the stretch with averages of 14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals in his last 15 appearances, including three 20-point games.

The 19-year-old remains a work-in-progress, shooting just 27.1 percent from three-point range last season, but he showed flashes of upside with his ability to attack the rim.

Johnson's work rate on the defensive end will also ensure he at least makes some impact at the next level.

He leads a three-player Clipper draft class that includes Ohio guard Jason Preston (No. 33) and Kentucky forward Brandon Boston Jr. (No. 51).

Kawhi Leonard could be an unrestricted free agent if he declines his $36 million player option, but the forward is expected to return to the Los Angeles Clippers on a new deal.

"I've got no indication that Kawhi Leonard is interested in doing anything besides re-signing with the Clippers and rehabbing that injury," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Sunday on the Woj & Lowe Free Agency Special.

Leonard suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs and could miss much—if not all—of the 2021-22 season. ESPN's Zach Lowe noted there will still be interest in the open market despite the injury, but the Clippers expect the veteran to re-sign this offseason.

"The way they are proceeding, certainly seems to be with Kawhi Leonard in mind," Wojnarowski said of the Clippers.

The Clippers signed Leonard in 2019 while also trading for Paul George to create one of the best tandems in the NBA. The squad hasn't won a title in the two seasons together, but it did reach the Western Conference semifinals each year and went to the Western Conference Final in 2021 despite Kawhi's second-round injury.

George already signed a contract extension that keeps him in Los Angeles through at least 2023-24, and now Leonard can join him on his own long-term deal.

A new contract could extend the Clippers' window of contention, retaining a player who has five All-Star selections, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and two NBA titles, winning Finals MVP both times.

When healthy, Leonard has proved to be one of the top players in the league and someone who can almost single-handedly carry a team to title contention.

Even if the 30-year-old does re-sign with Los Angeles, the team must survive the upcoming year without him as he recovers from his knee injury. George should help the squad maintain high expectations as a seven-time All-Star who averaged 26.9 points per game during the playoffs this year, but the rest of the team will have to step up until Leonard returns to full strength.

Former Denver Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw is reportedly being targeted for a role on Tyronn Lue's staff with the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Shaw is in "serious talks" with the Clippers about becoming an assistant coach. 

Shaw spent last season as head coach of the G League Ignite, the developmental team that featured several top prospects in the 2021 NBA draft class, including Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

Previously, Shaw spent three seasons as an associate head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. He began his coaching career with the Lakers as an assistant from 2004 to 2011, winning back-to-back NBA titles in 2008-09 and 2009-10. 

Shaw was hired as head coach of the Nuggets in June 2013. The 55-year-old went 56-85 in 141 games before being fired late in the 2014-15 season. 

As a player, he won three NBA titles from 2000 to 2002 with the Lakers. He played 14 seasons in the NBA from 1988-89 through 2002-03. 

Lue just finished his first season as Clippers head coach. He led the team to a 47-25 record and the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, but it lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games in the Western Conference Finals.    

Even after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL, Kawhi Leonard could still test the waters of free agency this offseason.

Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype reported one executive expects Leonard to opt out of his contract "no matter what," noting Kevin Durant still received a max contract after rupturing his Achilles.

Leonard could also miss significant time after suffering a torn ACL, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic. The Los Angeles Clippers forward suffered the injury during the second-round matchup against the Utah Jazz and missed his team's final eight playoff games.

The 30-year-old now must decide on his $36 million player option for 2021-22.

"Obviously, if I'm healthy, the best decision is to decline the player option," Leonard had said in December.

The latest injury could alter his plans, but Leonard would arguably still be the top option on the open market.

The five-time All-Star is considered one of the best two-way players in the NBA, finishing last season with averages of 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He has especially proved himself in the postseason while leading both the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors to titles. He won the Finals MVP award in both championship runs.

An interested team could sign Leonard to a max deal and wait for his contributions down the line, even if he misses all of 2021-22.

Both Durant and Klay Thompson signed new deals in 2019 despite the expectation they would miss the upcoming season. Thompson missed a second season with another injury, although Durant returned in 2020-21 to play at a high level for the Brooklyn Nets.

According to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks will make a "hard push" for Leonard this offseason while the New York Knicks could also be an option.

The Clippers could also re-sign the forward even if he opts out, keeping him alongside Paul George through at least the 2023-24 season.

Following weeks of near-silence regarding the status of Kawhi Leonard's right knee, including when his Los Angeles Clippers were still playing, we've finally learned the extent of the injury he suffered against the Utah Jazz in mid-June.

In a press release shared Tuesday, the Clippers wrote: "Kawhi Leonard underwent successful surgery today to repair a partial tear of his right anterior cruciate ligament. There is no timetable for his return."

The last sentence isn't unusual for injuries of this magnitude. Given the varied outcomes of a torn ACL throughout sports, it wouldn't really make sense for the organization to give one. But we can certainly glean some clues by looking at timelines for other stars who went through this surgery.

In December 2014, Jabari Parker's rookie year was cut short by a torn ACL. He returned to game action in November 2015. In 2017, Zach LaVine suffered a torn ACL in February. He next played in an NBA game in January 2018. Kristaps Porzingis sat out the entirety of 2018-19 after tearing his ACL in February 2018. And Klay Thompson missed all of the 2019-20 season with the injury in question.

Based on history, 6 months would be optimistic, 9 months reasonable, 12 months practical https://t.co/iNNMOSu44b

— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) July 14, 2021

For Kawhi, whose history with injuries and load management has been analyzed to death, the more cautious timeline feels like the most likely. And with the NBA going back to its old October-through-June schedule for the 2021-22 campaign, there's a very real possibility that Leonard will miss all of next season.

One would think that this makes Leonard picking up his $36 million player option a near certainty (though there's little use in trying to predict how his offseasons will go anymore). As such, we'll operate under the assumption that he'll be a Clipper for at least one more year.

And with that salary on the books, L.A. will be over the cap. Barring trades, the team figures to look a lot like it did during the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns. 

Behind Paul George, the Clippers were pluckier than expected without Kawhi in the playoffs. They won Games 5 and 6 against the top-seeded Jazz and stretched the next series to six, but a broader sample suggests some trouble.

During their two seasons together in L.A., the Clippers are...

• plus-11.3 points per 100 possessions with Kawhi and PG on the floor;
• plus-9.0 points per 100 possessions with Kawhi on and PG off;
• plus-4.2 points per 100 possessions with Kawhi off and PG on; and
• minus-2.0 points per 100 possessions when both were off.

Those numbers are from the regular and postseason combined, and don't look so bad when you hone in on the PG-on-Kawhi-off mark. But not so bad isn't a description for a title contender, and an increase in minutes without both stars likely knocks them off that tier.

Just two years after news of the Clippers acquiring both George and Leonard rocked the NBA, their era in L.A. might be effectively over.

Next season, the Jazz, Suns and Los Angeles Lakers all figure to be back in the mix. Jamal Murray could be out till the playoffs with his own torn ACL, but the Denver Nuggets are bringing back the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic and a rising star in Michael Porter Jr. Luka Doncic could have the Dallas Mavericks on the brink of contention for as long as he's there. And the return of Klay to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors could give them a shot at reopening their title window.

In short, the West figures to be as brutal as ever, with the exception of, well, the Clippers.

George is a great player and worthy multitime All-Star. He's had a positive net rating swing (the difference in a team's net points per 100 possessions when a given player is on or off the floor) in every season of his career. In 2018-19, he finished third in MVP voting.

But even that year, he played alongside Russell Westbrook, who averaged a triple-double, had a positive net rating swing of his own and finished 15th in the league in box plus/minus (BPM is "a basketball box score-based metric that estimates a basketball player's contribution to the team when that player is on the court," according to Basketball Reference).

George is a great first scoring option, even without Kawhi (he's averaged 29.6 points per 75 possessions with a 60.3 true shooting percentage with Kawhi off the floor over the last two seasons), but he's not the kind of one-man engine players like LeBron James, Jokic, Doncic and Curry are.

If he's the only star on a squad that includes Marcus Morris Sr., Patrick Beverley, Luke Kennard, Serge Ibaka, Rajon Rondo and Ivica Zubac, it's hard to imagine the Clippers climbing over all the aforementioned Western Conference teams on the way to the mountaintop.

Does that mean L.A. should blow it up and start over? Not necessarily, but it has outgoing first-round picks or pick swaps in each and every draft from 2022 through 2026. And with George being 31 and Leonard being 30, the timeline to win a title with those two might've been pretty short without a torn ACL mucking things up.

"You probably start to feel like your old self a year-and-a-half after the injury," former NBA player Speedy Claxton told HoopsRumors in 2018. "It's a long, grueling rehab process and you don’t know if you're ever going to be the same."

In 12-18 months, that window could be closed entirely, especially if Leonard isn't quite where he was prior to the injury.

L.A. probably wouldn't recoup all those losses by trading George or other veterans on the roster, but it could get something.

The alternative is a gap season before Leonard comes back one year older and younger stars around the league gain more experience in their own pursuits for a title.

Bailing on this experiment just two years after it started somehow feels like an overreaction. Clinging to it somehow feels like desperation.

Really, there are no good options here.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard underwent surgery to repair the partially torn right ACL he suffered during his team's second-round victory over the Utah Jazz, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Leonard, 30, suffered the knee injury in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Jazz, which was later revealed to be an ACL injury, per Charania.

The issue forced the forward to miss the remaining eight playoff games for the Clippers, including all of the Western Conference Finals, where the squad lost 4-2 to the Phoenix Suns. There was still hope Leonard could have returned if Los Angeles advanced, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported in June.

The focus is now on getting healthy for 2021-22.

Leonard has a $36 million player option for the upcoming season and would arguably be the top player in the free-agent class if he hits the open market.

The five-time All-Star is one of the top two-way players in basketball, averaging 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season. He remained efficient while shooting 51.2 percent from the field, 39.8 percent from three-point range and 88.5 percent from the free-throw line.

Leonard is best known for his postseason success, leading both the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors to NBA titles while winning Finals MVP each time. 

Injuries have prevented him from playing more than 60 games in any of the last four seasons, but the wing will hope for better days ahead.

The New Orleans Pelicans reportedly aren't willing to pay point guard Lonzo Ball big money in restricted free agency this offseason.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers both have interest in Ball, and the Pelicans are "unlikely to match a significant offer sheet" if he signs one.

Ball, 23, has spent the past two seasons with the Pels after being traded to New Orleans as part of the deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers.

After struggling to establish himself offensively during his first three NBA seasons, Ball made some strides in that area last season.

He averaged a career-high 14.6 points and 3.1 three-pointers made per game, while also shooting a career-best 41.4 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from beyond the arc and 78.1 percent from the free-throw line.

Although some other numbers were down, he still contributed in other areas as well, averaging 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals.

While Ball seems to be on the ascent, letting him walk could open up more playing time for guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker next season and beyond.

Alexander-Walker, who was the No. 17 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, showed flashes last season, including a 37-point performance in January and a 30-point showing in the second-to-last game of the season.

Given Ball's improved shooting to go along with his passing and defensive capabilities, it stands to reason that he will generate a fair amount of interest on the restricted free-agent market.

The Bulls would perhaps be a somewhat unexpected landing spot with guards Zach LaVine and Coby White both under contract next season, although their reported interest could mean thought is being given to trading LaVine.

LaVine is coming off a career year, as he averaged 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists en route to his first All-Star nod, although he can become a free agent at the end of next season.

The Clippers' reported interest is less surprising given their uncertainty at the point guard position.

Reggie Jackson will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after a great playoff performance, and while Patrick Beverley is set to return, he has become fairly one-dimensional and is most valuable for his defense.

Ball does a little bit of everything, which would seemingly make him a great complementary piece alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

The Clippers have fallen short of the NBA Finals in each of the past two seasons after acquiring Leonard and George, but Ball could be the type of player who helps put them over the top since his skill set is a blend of Jackson and Beverley rolled into one player.