Los Angeles Clippers

Kawhi Leonard is hoping to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to an NBA title this postseason, but the five-time All-Star's future is becoming a source of discussion since he can opt out of his current contract this summer. 

On the latest episode of The Woj Pod (starts at 41:50 mark), ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported he "doesn't sense" that Leonard will leave the Clippers amid rumors he could join the Miami Heat. 

After the NBA trade deadline on March 25, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on The Jump that the Heat's midseason moves to acquire Victor Oladipo, Trevor Ariza and Nemanja Bjelica left them with flexibility for the summer to pursue Leonard since none of those three players is under contract past this season. 

Windhorst did note that it would take "some kind of miracle" for Leonard to decide he wants to leave the Clippers. 

The free-agent class of 2021 has been decimated by several superstars who could have hit the open market deciding to sign new deals.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert and Jrue Holiday are among the players who have signed extensions. 

Leonard has a $36 million player option on his current deal for the 2021-22 season. The expectation is that he will opt out and sign a new contract with his hometown team after signing with the club as a free agent in the summer of 2019. 

George, who also had a player option on his previous contract, signed a four-year, $190 million extension in December. 

The Clippers have gone 96-48 in two seasons with Leonard and George as their top two players. Leonard has averaged 26 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 109 games since the start of 2019-20. 

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Monday the Los Angeles Clippers slid down the Western Conference standings on purpose to minimize their chances of facing the rival Los Angeles Lakers in the early rounds of the playoffs.

The Clippers went 4-6 over their last 10 games of the regular season, including losses in their final two contests while resting several key players, to end up as the No. 4 seed in the West.

"Well, you can accuse them of tanking. I'm going to convict them of tanking," Windhorst said on SportsCenter. "But we see teams tank at the end of the season all the time. That's not the end of the world, a lot of teams have. What they did here is make moves to avoid the Lakers in Round 1 and Round 2."

The Lakers are heading for the play-in tournament after an injury-plagued regular season. They returned to full strength just in time for the postseason, however, which makes the reigning champions a highly dangerous No. 7 or No. 8 seed if they survive the pre-playoff event.

If LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Co. beat the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday they will slot in the bracket as the No. 7 seed, which means the Clippers would avoid them until a potential meeting in the Western Conference Finals.

"You know, we may be sitting here in two months and say, 'Boy, what a genius move. It was good strategy for how it set up the bracket,'" Windhorst said. "But boy does it send a strange message to your team, and it certainly sends a message to the Lakers."

Windhorst added some NBA scouts and executives "couldn't believe" the type of plays the Clippers were running late in their 117-112 season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, suggesting they were "actively not attempting to win."

Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Rajon Rondo, Nicolas Batum and Marcus Morris Sr. all sat out of that game against OKC.

It's fair to wonder whether it would have been better to face the Lakers earlier in the playoffs, though.

James and Davis have both missed extended stretches during the season's second half while recovering from injuries, and point guard Dennis Schroder recently missed over two weeks while in the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

In turn, the Lakers' preferred rotation has played very few minutes together in recent months. Trying to get them out of the postseason before they can find a rhythm might have represented a better path because if they reach the conference finals they'll likely be clicking on all cylinders.

Regardless, the Clippers' apparent maneuvering is just another subplot heading into the NBA playoffs, which feature no shortage of legitimate title contenders.

The Los Angeles Clippers are just three games away from the start of the postseason and still trying to work out a few issues with their offense.

On Tuesday, after knocking off the Toronto Raptors, 115-96, Kawhi Leonard said one of the most pressing issues was the Clippers' ball security. L.A. had 18 turnovers against Toronto, leading to 14 Raptors points. That's the type of thing Leonard said can't happen in the playoffs.

"You want to be in single-digit mark definitely in the playoffs," Leonard told reporters after the win. "...It just comes between the ears. What type of mindset are we gonna have? Do we want to win because you need carryover. ... We can't keep talking about it. It's about doing it now, pretty much."

Kawhi Leonard had just one turnover on Tuesday while Paul George led the Clippers with six.

George seemed to struggle in all areas of his game, going five-for-15 (two-for-nine from three) with four rebounds and four assists as he dropped 16 points in 33 minutes.

Yet the turnover issue goes well beyond the shooting guard. The Clippers haven't posted single-digit turnovers since a May 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets in which they coughed up the ball six times. Los Angeles has gone 3-1 since that outing but the turnover problems have only grown.

A 22-turnover night against the Lakers should've been the low point. Considering the Raptors were playing without Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Aron Baynes on Tuesday, it's clear Los Angeles found a new low.

Leonard believes it all comes down to mindset.

If L.A. focuses on being more careful with the ball, it'll happen.

Maybe that's a bit simplistic but with three games left in the season there isn't much time to make any major changes. The Clippers need to get their rotation on the same page and stay there as long as possible. As the playoffs get underway, it'll be on L.A. to prove they can overcome the letdown of last year's playoff run and ensure they're in control of their own destiny.

As Leonard said, that all begins with a healthy mindset.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is collaborating with NBA YoungBoy and Rod Wave for a musical project, with proceeds going toward the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.

"It just merges basketball and music together," Leonard told reporters Tuesday of Culture Jam. "It's always been something on my mind that I wanted to do. It's just something that could uplift our community, and a portion of each stream is gonna go to the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation."

The five-time All-Star also said the work for Culture Jam has been ongoing for the last six or seven months.

The Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation is named for Kobe and Gianna Bryant. The name was changed to include a reference to Gianna after she and Kobe were among the nine people killed in a January 2020 helicopter crash.

The organization aims to "[create] positive impact for underserved athletes and young women in sports." Vanessa Bryant recently released a "Mambacita" line of clothing to honor Gianna and raise money and awareness for the foundation.

Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George isn't focused on the possibility of facing the rival Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

When asked by ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk about that potential matchup, George said: "Too much going on. Still what, six games left? We are still trying to move up regardless of what [the] Lakers are doing. We are worried about us."

If the playoffs began today, the Clippers and Lakers would meet in a huge first-round clash. The Clips are third in the Western Conference with a 44-22 record, while the Lakers are tied for fifth and officially in sixth via tiebreaker at 37-28.

Last season, it was widely expected that the Clippers and Lakers would clash in the Western Conference Finals, but the Clippers didn't make it that far. They blew a 3-1 series lead and fell to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs.

As a result, the Lakers breezed past the Nuggets and then the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals to win a championship.

The Clips have a chance to go on a deep run this season with both George and Kawhi Leonard playing at a high level, although the team isn't without its warts.

On Tuesday, the Clippers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 105-100 win over the Toronto Raptors. Head coach Ty Lue hasn't gotten the type of production out of the supporting cast around George and Leonard that he likely hoped for or expected.

As a result, the Clippers could be ripe for the picking if they run into a dangerous team in the playoffs, and the Lakers fit that description.

The Lakers have not been among the elite teams in the Western Conference for much of the season because of the fact that Anthony Davis and LeBron James have missed a significant amount of time with injuries.

AD has been limited to 30 games and LeBron has played in just 43, meaning there haven't been many occasions over the past couple of months that head coach Frank Vogel has had his full allotment of weapons.

The Lakers are in a tough spot in that keeping Davis and James healthy for the playoffs is important, but so is staying in the top six in the Western Conference since teams seeded seventh through 10th must compete in play-in games.

For now, the Lakers are tied with the fifth-place Dallas Mavericks and are one game ahead of the seventh-place Portland Trail Blazers, meaning they are far from assured of a top-six position.

If it does work out that the Clippers finish with the third seed and the Lakers finish sixth, it would mark one of the biggest first-round playoff series of all time.

Regardless of what George said, the Clippers would be in danger of a first-round exit as well, especially if the Lakers have Davis, James, Andre Drummond, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell all healthy and available for the series.

The Los Angeles Clippers could get Patrick Beverley back for Tuesday's game against the Toronto Raptors. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Beverley is "progressing" toward returning to the lineup after missing the past 12 games with a wrist injury. 

Beverley hasn't played since April 8 when he fractured the metacarpal bone that connects his ring finger to the wrist in his left hand in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns.

The Clippers announced Beverley had surgery to repair his fractured hand on April 9 and he would be reevaluated in three to four weeks. 

The injury came in Beverley's second game back after sitting out 12 consecutive contests with a knee injury. 

Head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters before Saturday's game against the Denver Nuggets that Beverley is nearing a return. The 32-year-old is averaging 8.0 points on a career-high 41.6 percent three-point shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 31 starts this season. 

The Clippers were in the middle of a seven-game winning streak when Beverley suffered the injury. They have lost three straight heading into Tuesday's matchup with the Raptors. 

Los Angeles currently occupies the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference with a 43-22 record. 

The Los Angeles Clippers are headed to the playoffs once again.

L.A. clinched its spot in the postseason Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Toronto Raptors, 121-114.

This is quite the stretch for the once downtrodden Clippers, who have now made the playoffs in nine of the last 10 seasons. It is a notable turnaround after they made the playoffs just seven times in the first 41 years of their franchise's history.

The issue has been advancing.

In fact, the Clippers have never made it past the second round of the postseason. Last year was particularly brutal when they had championship expectations with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and a deep core and blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round.

The collapse led to plenty of changes heading into the 2020-21 campaign.

L.A. parted ways with head coach Doc Rivers, promoted Tyronn Lue from assistant to head coach and didn't bring back 2019-20 Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell. They signed veteran Serge Ibaka to take his place and then traded for veteran Rajon Rondo during the season prior to March's deadline.

Considering Ibaka was part of the 2019 champion Toronto Raptors and Rondo was part of the 2020 champion Los Angeles Lakers, there is now plenty of on-court leadership around Leonard and George as the Clippers look to take the next step in the postseason.

It won't be easy in a deep Western Conference that features title contenders in the Lakers, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, as well as dangerous challengers in the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks.

Still, making the playoffs was just the first step for the Clippers in what is a championship-or-bust season.

They have one of the best players in the league in Leonard, a two-way force in George and plenty of notable playmakers around them to go with the motivation that should be in place after last season's collapse.

The pressure is now on.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard remained in good spirits after his return to the court Saturday night in a 110-104 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

"I'm feeling good," Leonard said after the game, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. "We took the proper steps to get me right, to make sure nothing significant is wrong with me ... so hopefully we can just keep moving up from here."

Leonard had missed five games because of a foot injury but said it is "nothing significant."

The 10-year NBA veteran scored 16 points with five rebounds and six assists in the loss. On the year, he is averaging 25.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

The former San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors forward, who joined L.A. in free agency in 2019, has dominated once again in 2020-21, earning his fifth All-Star appearance.

The Clippers have been solid as well in search of their first NBA Finals appearance and championship, going 43-22 thus far.

Leonard has been sidelined for some of those games. He missed two for a laceration to the face after an accidental hit from teammate Serge Ibaka and two more because of the league's health and safety protocols.

The 29-year-old also missed three games with a leg contusion, a March 2 matchup against the Boston Celtics for back spasms and a March 25 game versus the Spurs with right foot soreness. The right foot soreness lingered into April, and he missed five more games because of it.

The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly set to sign guard Yogi Ferrell for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the agreement will also include a non-guaranteed year in 2021-22.

The soon-to-be-28-year-old Ferrell signed a 10-day contract with the Clippers on April 19 and has appeared in three games for the team since then.

In his three games as a member of the Clippers, Ferrell is averaging 4.7 points and 3.3 assists in 9.7 minutes per contest while shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Prior to joining L.A., Ferrell appeared in two games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 20.0 minutes per game. He also shot 38.1 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from deep.

Ferrell broke into the NBA as an undrafted free agent in 2016 after a standout collegiate career at Indiana University.

He has bounced around quite a bit since then, splitting his rookie season between the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks, playing for Dallas in 2017-18 and then spending the next two seasons with the Sacramento Kings.

Ferrell's most productive season to date remains the 2017-18 campaign, when he appeared in all 82 games for the Mavs and averaged 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from long range.

For his career, Ferrell is averaging 7.8 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 254 games.

With guard Patrick Beverley missing a lot of time this season due to a hand injury, Ferrell gives head coach Ty Lue some added depth in the backcourt.

Ferrell is still behind Beverley, Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Rajon Rondo in the pecking order, but he provides some insurance should more injuries strike the Clippers' group of guards.

Los Angeles Clippers big man DeMarcus Cousins had nothing but good things to say about teammate Paul George after Tuesday's 113-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Mason Bissada of Sports Illustrated, Cousins said:

"PG's cool as a fan. He leads by example. He comes in and he works every single day. Every night he steps on the floor, he's going to give an A+ effort. One of the most talented players I've ever seen lace 'em up. We gotta stop the PG slander. It just won't be accepted around me. ... Every chance I get, I'm gonna give him his flowers."

After finishing third in the NBA MVP voting in 2018-19 in his final season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, George's production dropped off a bit last season in his first season in L.A., but he is once again putting up big numbers.

In 45 games this season, George is averaging 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals, while shooting a career-best 48.3 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from beyond the arc.

George has been especially good recently during a stretch that has seen Kawhi Leonard miss five of the past six games with a foot injury.

In the seven games since Cousins signed with the Clippers, George is averaging a scorching 32.9 points per game and shooting 54 percent from the floor during that stretch.

With George leading the way, the Clippers are third in the Western Conference with a 41-19 record, making them one of the top candidates to represent the West in the NBA Finals.

Cousins is in the midst of his second 10-day contract with the Clippers, meaning his time in L.A. could potentially be winding down, but given how much he seems to enjoy playing with George, one can only assume Cousins will sign with the Clippers for the remainder of the season provided they want to keep him.