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Tag: Kawhi Leonard

  • Kawhi Leonard All-Star snub draws backlash from Clippers fans

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    The recent reveal of the NBA All-Star Game reserves brought plenty of surprises, and based on feedback from the Los Angeles Clippers fans and many other fans, a significant snub.

    Kawhi Leonard, a two-time NBA Champion and six-time NBA All-Star, was left out of the game’s selected stars. Some of the newer reserves in the Western Conference included Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers, Chet Holmgren from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Jamal Murray from the Denver Nuggets.

    In addition, returning stars Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker received spots on the West team. However, Leonard was nowhere to be found, despite putting up All-Star stats in his latest season for a struggling Clippers team.

    Read more: Charles Barkley Calls Out Cavaliers for De’Andre Hunter Trade With Kings

    On Sunday evening, the Clippers X account didn’t hold back, sharing posts that seemed to criticize the league over the snub. One of the posts shared a quote from Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue: “Kawhi, to me, the last 6 weeks, has been the best player in the NBA.”

    In another blatant message about Kawhi’s omission from the All-Star reserves, they shared a StatMuse post showing his 27.7 points per game, a career high, along with his league-leading 2.1 steals per game and mentioning his league-leading free-throw percentage.

    “Not an All-Star,” StatMuse also said in their Kawhi post.

    Fans also expressed frustration and disappointment that Kawhi was not selected for the 2026 All-Star Game, with many comments on the Clippers’ social media posts.

    “Snubbed from All-Star Game!!!!” a fan commented on the Clippers’ Tyronn Lue quote post.

    “This league continues to become a disaster,” one fan wrote in an X comment on the StatMuse post.

    “Absolutely insane man,” another fan commented, while another X commenter wrote, “Embarrassing by the league.”

    “the host Los Angeles Clippers got no representative in the All Star game despite having the best record in NBA since December smh,” an X commenter said.

    The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will occur in Los Angeles this year, with the Clippers hosting the annual event. As mentioned in the fan’s comment, not only did Leonard not make the Western Conference All-Stars, but neither did another multi-time All-Star and league MVP, James Harden.

    The conference coaches select the All-Star Game reserves for each conference, but coaches can’t vote for players from their own teams.

    Some fans speculated that the snubs were a form of karma for how the organization treated Chris Paul before his retirement from the NBA. Others suggested it is due to the Clippers’ record and standing, as they are currently 22-25 and No. 10 in the Western Conference.

    There’s still a possibility that one or both players could enter the game, but that would occur only if other players are unable to participate. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver then selects players as replacements.

    Read more: LeBron James Has 2-Word Response to Slam Dunk Contest After Lakers’ Win

    For more about the Los Angeles Clippers and the NBA, visit Newsweek Sports.

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  • David Adelman on Nuggets’ debut of Nikola Jokic-Jonas Valanciunas lineup: ‘It was hilarious to watch it on tape’

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    In one of the most peculiar sights of the decade so far for hard-core Nuggets fans, Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas played hot potato.

    It was Sunday in Los Angeles, in the middle of Denver’s third preseason game. Peyton Watson was having trouble feeding Jokic in the high post, so Valanciunas flashed to the top of the key to give Watson an outlet.

    The Lithuanian center collected the ball and quickly passed it to the Serbian center — the original intended target. But Jokic had limited options with both Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac sitting back in the paint, unconcerned by the 3-point threat of Valanciunas. Jokic immediately passed back out to the open Valanciunas, who reluctantly fired away.

    Yes, the Nuggets were playing two centers together, as first-time coach David Adelman promised before training camp. Their 102-94 win over the Clippers marked the preseason debut of their new double-big look, with the three-time MVP center Jokic essentially playing power forward.

    And yes, the floor spacing looked a little funky at times. Adelman could only chuckle about it later.

    “I thought it was hilarious to watch it on tape,” he said Tuesday before the Nuggets hosted the Chicago Bulls. “We haven’t had a ton of time (practicing with) those guys. They’ve scripted together, but they haven’t played together. But it’s kind of like, rip the Band-Aid off and just see what happens.”

    That’s precisely what preseason basketball is for, Adelman will attest. Denver played only five offensive possessions with Jokic and Valanciunas on the floor together that night, scoring four points for an offensive rating of 80.

    But again, note the minuscule sample size and the lack of practice time devoted to this particular lineup so far.

    “If they end up playing together a lot, we’ll slowly but surely add a package for those two guys,” Adelman said. “And not just for them, but to make the other three guys comfortable. I’ve made this point about Houston. Offensively, with the two bigs, (Alperen) Sengun was the point person, and (Steven) Adams just crushed the glass. So it’s like, our personalities are a little bit different. Val can crash the glass, but he’s also skilled. So I have to find a way to get those guys comfortable in space so they’re not right on top of each other.”

    It wasn’t all bad on Sunday night, either. A timeout was called in the middle of the short stint, allowing Adelman to draw up a set “ATO” play using both big men. Jokic set a screen to bring Christian Braun up to the ball, then a second screen under the basket to get Valanciunas coming across to Braun’s side of the floor. Los Angeles switched that second screen, making the entry pass to Valanciunas difficult but allowing Jokic to flash to the foul line. He knocked down an open jumper from there.

    “The ATO was great,” Adelman said. “We got them organized with the high-low, and that’s gonna be effective. I don’t know how people will handle that. I’m sure they’ll come up with something.”

    The Rockets are a nice template to study after they discovered resounding success with Sengun and Adams last year, but double-big lineups have been a growing trend around the league for longer than that. Adelman is nothing if not an experimenter, and he has expressed an earnest curiosity all preseason about how opponents will guard Denver’s version of the twin-towers look.

    The problem might be at the defensive end. There, too, Adelman is drawing inspiration from Houston by trying a zone scheme with both centers next to each other at the bottom. On Sunday, he placed Valanciunas in the middle and Jokic on the edge, forcing him to defend from the corner to the wing on a couple of possessions.

    Adelman pointed out on Tuesday that he put Jokic in that same location in the zone a few times during the 2025 playoffs, which allowed Aaron Gordon to play the middle and defend pick-and-rolls.

    “I thought we did a really good job as a team defense behind him. … You tilt a little bit more,” Adelman said. “If he ends up with a quality offensive player, wing player, you bring that second defender over a little bit more, as opposed to if it was, I don’t know, Peyton Watson down there. So a little bit of a difference, but not much. And he’s just so smart with his angles, he’ll always force the ball back to where we want it to go.”

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    Bennett Durando

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  • 5 Sixers thoughts: What to make of Clippers scandal; does Cam Thomas taking qualifying offer set the stage for Quentin Grimes?

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    Happy Monday! We are inside of three weeks away from the Sixers beginning their 2025-26 season, a journey which will lead them to Abu Dhabi for two exhibitions in the first week of October before returning home for a few more preseason games and then an 82-game marathon.

    And then, the Sixers hope, will come a lengthy playoff run.

    As always, let’s begin the week with 5 Sixers thoughts, with the NBA’s newest potential scandal serving as the headliner.

    Also inside: Jared McCain providing an injury update, the first of Quentin Grimes’ restricted free agency cohorts to make a decision and more.

    Los Angeles Clippers cap circumvention story through a Sixers lens

    Last week, “Pablo Torre Finds Out” broke a potential scandal that could become a massive, league-altering one in the NBA: a potential case of salary cap circumvention involving superstar Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. The entire story is fascinating and you can listen to/watch it in full here.

    The natural inclination when observing this story is to think of Joe Smith and the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000. The league found that the team and Smith were working in tandem to circumvent the cap, as Smith took multiple short-term deals below his market value with the promise of a lucrative long-term deal once the team attained his Full Bird rights. The penalty was massive: Smith’s rights were voided, the team was fined, owner Glen Taylor had to step away from basketball operations for a period and lead executive Kevin McHale was forced to take an unpaid leave of absence. And none of that compared to the five consecutive first-round picks the league office docked from the Timberwolves.

    Cap circumvention is a massive sin in any sport, and the prevailing expectation seems to be that if the NBA can definitively prove that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer directed payments to Leonard off the books, Ballmer and his organization will risk facing massive penalties. Speculation has already begun about how that would look, particularly in terms of draft-related penalties, because the Clippers do not have actual control of any first-round picks until 2030. They have two significant obligations to the Sixers from the James Harden trade:

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    Clippers owe Sixers unprotected first-round pick Clippers owe Sixers first-round pick swap rights (top-three protected)

    To be clear, the NBA would not strip Los Angeles of picks it has already traded and actually penalize other teams for the Clippers’ wrongdoing. If the NBA concluded that there was wrongdoing worth punishing in the form of docking three first-round picks, for example, they would take away picks that the Clippers actually own, even if that means waiting until the next decade.

    If there is any non-Sixers development that would benefit the long-term health of the franchise in the next five years, it would be the Clippers falling into a state of mediocrity or worse. As has been covered here extensively over the last year, there is a world in which the Harden trade of 2023 eventually nets the Sixers two premium draft picks that ease their transition into a post-Joel Embiid world.

    Are there any possible ramifications of Torre’s reporting that could lead to a worse outlook for the Clippers two years from now? Perhaps Leonard’s contract being voided is one, but that would actually gift the Clippers cap space to pursue a more reliable star.

    Ballmer has already flatly denied all accusations of salary cap circumvention, and it would take a mountain of evidence to give the NBA comfort going after the richest owner in the league by far. But if the hammer does come down on the Clippers, the Sixers could be beneficiaries.

    MORE: VJ Edgecombe discusses offseason work, season ahead with PhillyVoice

    Cam Thomas takes the qualifying offer. Will Quentin Grimes follow suit?

    Grimes’ restricted free agency is still ongoing, more than two months after he officially reached the open market for the first time in his NBA career. The same is true for two of the other three high-profile restricted free agents, as Chicago’s Josh Giddey and Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga remain without new deals. But Cam Thomas, always seen as the most likely of the foursome to take the qualifying offer, did just that last week. He has returned to the Brooklyn Nets on a one-year deal worth just under $6 million that comes with a no-trade clause and pathway to unrestricted free agency as a 24-year-old next summer.

    Thomas taking the qualifying offer was not shocking. In addition to being in a brutal, barren salary cap environment this summer with only one significant cap space player (Brooklyn), Thomas has perhaps the largest disconnect with the marketplace in terms of his optimal role on an NBA team. Thomas’ own team having all of the financial flexibility in the world and still declining to make him any long-term offer speaks volumes.

    With an Oct. 1 deadline to accept the qualifying offer, the clock is beginning to tick on Grimes, Giddey and Kuminga if they want to go with the nuclear option. For Grimes in particular, the qualifying offer feels like a lose-lose scenario. There is some theoretical upside for the player and none for the team, but that upside will be tremendously difficult to reach.

    When Grimes emerged as a dynamic three-level scorer in a two-month audition with the Sixers, he was the most important trade deadline acquisition on a team that would be remembered as an abject failure. His blossoming was a much-needed organizational win, and he received every chance to prove he was capable of surpassing expectations.

    But of the four talented young guards expected to suit up for the Sixers next year, Grimes is clearly fourth in terms of long-term importance. If Grimes prevents the Sixers from securing him on a long-term deal or making him a trade asset by taking the qualifying offer, it will be much easier for the Sixers to discard the goal of maximizing his talents in favor of providing Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe with as much runway as possible.

    Grimes has made about $11 million in four NBA seasons despite spending much of that time as a definitively good player. He has been traded three times; two of those deals came despite Grimes giving his team quality production. Someone so familiar with the situational volatility that comes with being an NBA player should have a strong understanding of the importance of long-term security. Grimes will not get a deal that is commensurate with his ability and room for improvement, but taking the qualifying offer backs him into a corner. He would be a bad break or two away from missing out on the three- or four-year deal every free agent hopes to sign.

    Jared McCain says he is ‘on pace’ for training camp

    It has been nearly nine months since Jared McCain underwent a season-ending meniscus surgery, cutting short an electric rookie campaign at 23 games. McCain was the clear favorite to win Rookie of the Year before the knee injury sidelined him; even without playing after the second week of December his torrid scoring run was the most exciting and encouraging aspect of the 2024-25 Sixers season. McCain, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, proved that he has legitimate star upside. His brilliant shooting touch was as advertised and he showed considerably better on-ball scoring chops than anyone would have guessed as an NBA rookie.

    McCain accompanied the Sixers for Summer League in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas and worked out with the team in a limited capacity, but did not play in games. At an event for the renaming of the Sixers’ arena – the Wells Fargo Center is now officially the Xfinity Mobile Arena, by the way – McCain spoke to the media and reportedly indicated he is optimistic about being fully prepared for training camp in just a matter of weeks.

    “Right now, I’m on pace,” McCain said, according to the Associated Press.

    The Sixers have no reason to rush McCain back, but this far removed from his surgery, it is not too challenging to imagine the 21-year-old being a full go. The team’s eventual depth at guard once Grimes’ free agency is resolved has been discussed frequently, but without McCain, this team does not have a viable backup point guard right now. They need McCain to handle the ball when Tyrese Maxey is off the floor.

    MORE: McCain’s case to be a starter

    A Delaware Blue Coats legend departs

    It is hard for any player to accumulate more experience and respect with an NBA G League affiliate than Jared Brownridge has with the Delaware Blue Coats. Dating back to their days as the 87ers, the 6-foot-3 guard has been firing threes in Delaware. Brownridge’s eight-year tenure with the organization has come to an end, as he was part of a trade near the end of August.

    Speaking of the Blue Coats, the Sixers named Vice President of Player Personnel Ariana Andonian as the first-ever female general manager of the Blue Coats on Friday.

    A possible Sixers target goes overseas

    As soon as Guerschon Yabusele departed Philadelphia after one strong year – leaving the Sixers to sign with the rival New York Knicks at the taxpayer’s mid-level exception – how the Sixers attempted to piece together a quality power forward rotation became of interest. One free agent whose fit seemed clear was Trey Lyles, who does and does not check a lot of the same boxes as Yabusele (even if it looks a whole lot different).

    Lyles, a 10-year NBA veteran, does not come with a ton of upside, but his stable skills would have come in handy for a Sixers team that could have even used an innings-eater at the four. Lyles, however, will not be joining the Sixers in the near future, as he has reportedly agreed to a contract with Real Madrid. He will be taking his talents overseas.

    Speaking of Yabusele, the 29-year-old had a dominant EuroBasket performance for Team France last week, posting 36 points against Poland:

    Yabusele and the Knicks will face the Sixers in a pair of preseason games on the aforementioned Abu Dhabi trip. New York’s front office is hoping he can be a critical component new head coach Mike Brown’s bench in their pursuit of a championship.

    MORE: Why Sixers declined to match Yabusele’s offer from Knicks

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • NBA Investigates $28M “No-Show Job” Deal with Kawhi Leonard

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    LA Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer have been accused of paying Kwahi Leonard $28 million for a “no show job”

    Basketball star Kawhi Leonard was allegedly paid $28 million for a “no-show job”, according to Pablo Torre.
    Credit: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

    Sportswriter Pablo Torre accused the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer of paying Kawhi Leonard $28 million for a “no-show job”. On Wednesday, Torre laid out the accusations on his show, “Pablo Torre Finds Out”. The sportswriter mentioned direct quotes from the legal documents between Leonard and Ballmer.

    The situation revolves around the now bankrupt tree planting company called Aspiration, which was funded by Ballmer, and the KL2 Aspire, LLC, which was funded by Leonard.

    Aspiration entered a $28 million legal agreement with KL2 Aspire. Part of the contract states that Leonard could only get paid if he remained a member of the Clippers, but he could “decline to proceed with any action desired by the Company”. 

    Torre spoke with former Aspiration employees about the situation. One of the interviewees, who chose to use a voice modifier, claimed that he was told that the agreement between Leonard and Aspiration was an attempt to “circumvent the salary cap”.

    If the allegations prove to be correct, Ballmer and Leonard would have violated vital NBA rules. An NBA spokesperson told Yahoo News on Wednesday that the league is “commencing an investigation in response to Torre’s report”.

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    Ava Mitchell

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  • Clippers subjected Kawhi Leonard to ‘unsafe and illegal treatment,’ ex-trainer says

    Clippers subjected Kawhi Leonard to ‘unsafe and illegal treatment,’ ex-trainer says

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    Kawhi Leonard’s tenure with the Clippers has been marred by numerous injuries, and his status for this season remains in doubt.

    As the organization plays its opening season in the newly completed Intuit Dome, a new complication has arisen: A lawsuit filed Thursday by a former trainer alleges unsafe treatment of the franchise’s star player.

    Randy Shelton was the strength and conditioning coach at San Diego State and worked closely with Leonard during the player’s time with the Aztecs. The lawsuit says the Clippers began their pursuit of Leonard — using Shelton as an intermediary — in 2017, two years before Leonard joined the team.

    Following a devastating ankle injury for Leonard during the Western Conference finals in 2016, Clippers assistant general manager Mark Hughes emphasized discretion as he sought out the San Antonio Spurs star’s private health information through Shelton, the lawsuit states.

    Hughes and Shelton spoke around 15 times by phone and seven times in person, Shelton says. The offer: a job as the Clippers’ strength and conditioning coach if the team could persuade Leonard to join.

    The team got its wish, with Leonard and Shelton joining in the 2019 offseason. From there, Shelton was relegated to the sidelines as a new assistant coach, Todd Wright, took over his responsibilities, the lawsuit says.

    Shelton’s remaining job was to take care of Leonard, a task that the suit claims deliberately was made more difficult as the team excluded Shelton from meetings and “withheld necessary medical treatment and information that impacted Leonard’s training and health.”

    Leonard’s health woes continued. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the 2021 playoffs, and Shelton set a recovery target of two years — a timetable the Clippers were unwilling to accept, he says.

    Upon Leonard’s return for the 2022-23 season, the team promised a minutes restriction and that the forward would not play back-to-back games but failed to uphold that promise, Shelton claims. After the first two games, Leonard complained of knee swelling and inflammation, and an MRI revealed cartilage damage.

    The lawsuit says Leonard was “given biologics to band-aid the problem” instead of allowing the player the necessary time to heal. Less than a month later, in November 2022, Leonard returned to play and suffered two ruptured ligaments in his ankle within a week.

    Again, Shelton claims, the team demanded productivity, circumventing Shelton’s advice and withholding information from him. Shelton says the team began to force him out shortly thereafter.

    As Leonard battled through these injuries and the team’s record suffered, his minutes per game increased from 32 in December 2022 to 35 in January and 38 in February.

    This heavier load, which included one set of back-to-back games in March and April 2023, helped lead the team to a playoff berth. In the first round against Phoenix, Leonard tore his meniscus and suffered cartilage damage on his repaired ACL, requiring another surgery.

    After the injury, Shelton complained to the team. He said, according to the lawsuit, that “the mishandling of Kawhi Leonard’s injury and return-to-play protocol has been mind-blowing,” and that “the disregard for his recovery process is unacceptable.”

    The Clippers conducted an internal investigation, which concluded in June 2023 and found no wrongdoing. In July, President Lawrence Frank fired Shelton without cause, according to Shelton.

    Last season, Leonard again suffered a breakdown that necessitated another surgery. Shelton blames the team for pushing Leonard too hard.

    “The Clippers place revenue and winning above all else, even the health and safety of their ‘franchise’ player in Leonard,” the lawsuit says.

    Leonard missed the Olympics and is out to start the season. His return date is unclear.

    The Clippers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    In a statement provided to Chris Haynes, the NBA reporter who first reported on the lawsuit, the Clippers said: “Mr. Shelton’s claims were investigated and found to be without merit. We honored Mr. Shelton’s employment contract and paid him in full. This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false.”

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    Terry Castleman

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  • Derrick White is cheering on his childhood basketball rival Wyndham Clark at BMW Championship

    Derrick White is cheering on his childhood basketball rival Wyndham Clark at BMW Championship

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    CASTLE ROCK — Twenty years before they rekindled a friendship in Europe, the Euro step was a controversial subject between rivals Wyndham Clark and Derrick White.

    They played for opposing youth basketball teams in the Denver area, first matching up around the third grade. Both were point guards. White guarded Clark. Clark guarded White. White was a little more advanced than his peers — little did they know, he was a future NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist — and at some point during the mid-2000s, he implemented an unfamiliar move to his game. It was just beginning to get popular in the pros.

    “He was doing the Euro step at a young age,” Clark remembers, “and our whole team kept thinking it was traveling. So every time he would do the Euro step, all our dads and everyone was like, ‘That’s a travel!’ And they would never call it.

    “Fast forward to next year, and we’re all doing the same thing.”

    White was teaching Clark new tricks on the basketball court. Now it’s finally Clark’s turn to return the favor on the golf course. He’s the fifth-ranked golfer in the world, the winner of the 2023 U.S. Open and the fan favorite this weekend at the BMW Championship. Valor Christian High School, Class of 2012. White is a two-time All-Defensive Team honoree in the NBA, a glue guy for the Boston Celtics and Team USA, and a Clark groupie this weekend. Legend High School, Class of ’12.

    White has never played golf or gotten invested in the sport, “but I’m gonna start,” he declared while walking the first fairway at Castle Pines Golf Club on Thursday. He walked all 18 holes in support of his former basketball foe, who was paired with Rory McIlroy.

    “It’s fun because he’s kind of new to golf, and so (he) got his real first experience of pro golf at the Olympics, watching and walking with us,” Clark said. “And he really has the bug. We’ve been talking about it. He’s like, ‘I love it so much.’ It was really cool to have him out there.”

    Clark finished his first round at even par, but that doesn’t even begin to tell the story. He endured a hectic back nine that included multiple shots into the water and multiple double-bogeys. And that was before a cartoonishly timed lightning delay forced him and McIlroy to wait more than three hours to complete their final putts on the 18th hole. Spectators (even White) had vacated the premises by the time they resumed.

    “I was hoping it was going to be one of those quick Colorado 30-minute storms, but there was another one behind it,” Clark lamented. “Definitely a bummer being here for three hours.”

    Before that awkward conclusion without a crowd, Clark had been treated to resounding applause throughout the afternoon. Coloradans who noticed White gave him some love, too. He was hard to miss during the first hole, cradling the Larry O’Brien Trophy as he strolled downhill. Whether it was Boston’s Larry or Denver’s from the previous year, though, is unclear. The trophy was also on display Wednesday during the pro-am event, which featured Nuggets president Josh Kroenke.

    “I didn’t even know it was gonna be here,” a confused White said, starting to regret his decision to lug Larry along. “I’m really just here to support Wyndham and cheer him on. … I didn’t know it was gonna be here. I was walking in, and I see it on the ground, and I’m like, ‘Let me hold that.’”

    His opportunity to reacquaint with Clark this summer was truly last-second. Kawhi Leonard’s withdrawal from Team USA opened a roster spot two weeks before the Paris Olympics. White was the first choice to fill in. He flew solo to Abu Dhabi, UAE, to join the team for its remaining exhibition games, and soon enough he was floating down the Seine with Clark at the opening ceremony.

    “(We had) big battles. Big rivalry on the court,” White said. “And then obviously he went and did big things, so it was great reconnecting. And we ended up on the boat in the Olympics.”

    “Hanging out in Paris was pretty cool,” Clark said, grinning.

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    Bennett Durando

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  • Kawhi Leonard Withdraws From Team USA For Upcoming Olympics

    Kawhi Leonard Withdraws From Team USA For Upcoming Olympics

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    Source: Ethan Miller / Getty

    Yahoo! Sports reports that Kawhi Leonard has officially withdrawn from Team USA for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

    Boston Celtics guard Derrick White is one name reported as a potential replacement.

    Leonard played 68 games for the LA Clippers a season ago, but couldn’t compete in the playoffs due to a knee injury.

    In a social media post from @usabasketball, the following statement was released:

    “Kawhi has been ramping up for the Olympics over the past several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas,” said a statement from USA Basketball. “He felt ready to compete. However, he respects that USA Basketball and the Clippers determined it’s in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Olympic Games in Paris.”

    This is a developing story.

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    Matty Willz

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  • NBA free agency: Is Paul George the Sixers’ missing piece?

    NBA free agency: Is Paul George the Sixers’ missing piece?

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    Since the beginning of the 2023-24 Sixers season, reporting, on-the-record quotes and contextual clues have all told the same story: President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has his sights set on adding another star-caliber player to the team’s All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey this summer. With the constant player movement that has helped define this era of NBA basketball, it may be impossible to guess who that third key cog will be for the Sixers.

    Let’s evaluate the likelihood as well as the pros and cons of the Sixers adding Paul George this summer.

    George, who turned 34 years old earlier this month, is expected to decline his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2024-25 season and become an unrestricted free agent. While there appears to be considerable interest from both George and the Clippers in a long-term reunion, the sides appear to be far apart in contract negotiations that have been going on since the beginning of this season. George’s co-star, Kawhi Leonard — who was also set to have the opportunity to become a free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season — inked a three-year extension with the Clippers in January. George was expected to follow suit, but never agreed to terms with the team.

    MORE: Paul George is ‘Plan A’ for Sixers this summer

    George has become known as one of the great two-way wings of his era, a career 20.8-point per game scorer with four All-Defensive Team honors to his name.

    George has become one of the sport’s most consistent and highest-volume three-point shooters. Over the last nine NBA seasons, George has made 39.2 percent of his shots from beyond the arc while taking nearly 4,500 total three-point attempts. With the ability to shoot off the catch and off the dribble at 6-foot-8 with a high release point, he is one of the best in NBA history at getting three-point shots up at a high rate. But George has also used his very impressive frame to earn a reputation as one of the league’s best wing defenders, particularly among high-usage offensive players.

    For all of these reasons, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported Monday morning that signing George is considered to be the Sixers’ primary objective this summer.

    This makes sense: George’s on-court fit with Embiid and Maxey is pristine, the Sixers are aiming to win a championship next season and he may be the single best player attainable for the team this offseason.

    In theory, George is the absolute perfect third star to play in between Maxey and Embiid: he should be able to play alongside either or both of them and take over the team’s offense in spurts when necessary while also bolstering the team’s wing defense. The key words: in theory.

    As clean as the fit seems on paper for George in Philadelphia, there are some significant reasons to be worried about whether signing him to a massive, long-term contract is a viable long-term solution to the Sixers’ current issues, as it might create new problems down the line.

    Let’s start with the drawbacks of George as a player: in the last four NBA seasons, he has played an average of 53.7 games per regular season. Once an iron man of sorts, he has developed a lengthy injury history in recent seasons that has damaged his durability. Meanwhile, George’s production as a defender lags far behind his reputation at this point — he does not expend nearly as much energy as he used to on that end of the floor (which is to be expected as he grapples with the aging process and a long list of injuries, but is still a cause for concern).

    There is no doubt that George is still a tremendous offensive talent: he has averaged 24.1 points per game over the last six regular seasons with an impressive 58.8 true shooting percentage, is a true three-level scoring threat, and has even improved his passing — once considered a bit of a hole in his game.

    But, for what it is worth, George has developed a reputation as a player who shies away from the moment when the playoffs come around. Not dissimilar to Embiid, he has still been a good player in those moments, but has clearly not reached his full potential. His efficiency takes a dip in the postseason most years (not too uncommon, in a general sense), and he has been part of several ugly, disappointing playoff exits.

    On the day the Clippers were eliminated from the first round of the NBA Playoffs earlier this month at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks — a game in which George shot 6-18 from the field — Robert Flom, who covers the team for 213Hoops, summed up concerns about George’s playoff production as they relate to the Sixers succinctly:

    “Sixers fans who want their max players to be aggressive in key moments are in for a world of disappointment if PG does end up there.”

    Speaking of a maximum contract, the price of adding George is another significant factor here that could lead the Sixers to be nervous. In order to pry George away from his home state of California and the Clippers, the Sixers will likely have to offer him the most they possibly can — and not a single penny below it.

    While the Clippers have the advantage of being able to offer George a five-year deal, it seems nearly impossible that they would go to those lengths given George’s age and injury history. Leonard’s three-year deal may have been an attempt at setting a precedent for George’s future deal with the team — if one is to actually come to fruition.

    If the Clippers stick to that timeline, the Sixers have a chance to usurp them by offering George the longest deal they are allowed to, a four-year pact. Because George has more than 10 years of NBA service, his maximum contract starts at 35 percent of the salary cap. If he signs with the Sixers, he can receive raises of up to five percent each season. Here is what George’s maximum contract would look like if he came to Philadelphia:

    Season (George age) Salary
    2024-25 (34) $49,350,000
    2025-26 (35) $51,817,500
    2026-27 (36) $54,285,000
    2027-28 (37) $56,752,500

    That comes out to four years and $212,205,000 — a staggering number, even for a player with George’s track record.

    To create the requisite salary cap space to sign this deal, the Sixers would need to gut their roster by renouncing the vast majority of their free agents. Letting go of Tobias Harris will not hurt; watching Buddy Hield walk would not be a crushing blow either. But signing George might make it impossible for the team to bring back someone like De’Anthony Melton, who could potentially be signed to another deal below his market value after dealing with two years of back injuries.

    Of course, in a vacuum, swapping Melton for George while letting two high-priced disappointments in Harris and Hield sign elsewhere is a promising proposition. But if the Sixers renounce nearly all of their free agents to sign George, they will have very limited resources to fill out the rest of their roster.

    The best the Sixers could do in terms of keeping their own free agents in-house after a theoretical deal George addition would be keeping their rights to Maxey — who is primed to sign a five-year contract of his own worth $204,450,000 this summer — as well as two of their players who were on veteran’s minimums this season (likely Kelly Oubre Jr. and either Cam Payne or KJ Martin). That would mean they lose their ability to go over the cap to sign whichever of Payne and Martin they do not retain, as well as Melton, Nic Batum, Kyle Lowry and others — all of these players would only be able to sign with the Sixers for their minuscule remaining cap space, a salary cap exception or a veteran’s minimum deal.

    Spending nearly $50 million on a player next season will be well worth it for the Sixers if that player genuinely elevates them into championship status. But the idea of paying George over $56.7 million in 2027-28, when he will be 38 years old by the time the playoffs end, is daunting.

    On paper, George could not be a better fit alongside Embiid and Maxey to form a dominant trio in Philadelphia which could compete with anybody in the Eastern Conference and the NBA. But, like most matters with the Sixers, it is just never quite that simple. While the upside of inking George to the four-year deal he would likely command from the team is palpable, so are the massive risks that come with such a move.

    MORE: Sixers offseason FAQ

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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  • Leonard, George lead Clippers over NBA-best Celtics, 113-93

    Leonard, George lead Clippers over NBA-best Celtics, 113-93

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    LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard came to the bench with a message for his Los Angeles Clippers teammates.

    “Told the guys, ‘Let’s get out and run, let’s play faster,’” coach Tyronn Lue said.

    Behind 26 points from Paul George and Leonard’s season highs of 25 points and nine rebounds, the Clippers routed the NBA-leading Boston Celtics 113-93 on Monday night.

    “When your two best players come back, that’s a lot of energy,” Lue said.

    The Clippers’ defense held the Celtics under 100 points for the first time this season.

    “We did a great job pretty much across the whole board,” George said.

    Leonard also had six assists in his best all-around game of a young season that has been interrupted at times while he eases his way back from ACL surgery that cost him all of last season.

    “Only my ninth game,” Leonard said. “You can’t rush it. Yeah, just got to keep moving.”

    George has been hurt, too, although unlike Leonard, he’s no longer under a minutes restriction.

    “We’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to play on the court with one another,” George said. “It’s just good if both of us are playing aggressive.”

    Jaylen Brown scored 21 points to lead the Celtics, who dropped two in a row for only the second time this season. They had won eight of 10, including a loss at Golden State on Saturday. Jayson Tatum added 20 points — well below his 30-point average — and 11 rebounds, and Malcolm Brogdon had 18 points off the bench.

    “We made a conscious effort to make sure Tatum and Brown played in a crowd all night,” Lue said.

    Having the Celtics and their 21-7 record in town drew one of the Clippers’ biggest crowds of the season and created a playoff-like atmosphere. Boston fans showed out in the same colored gear as Marcus Smart’s green-hued hair.

    But the Clippers made most of the noise.

    Coming off a 2-2 East Coast trip, Los Angeles used a few big runs and solid defense to control the first half and take a 56-47 lead at the break.

    Leonard and George came out shooting to start the third. They each hit a 3-pointer while combining for 13 straight points that extended the lead to 69-55. Luke Kennard came off the bench and keyed a 7-0 run late, hitting a 3 before John Wall’s jumper put the Clippers ahead 88-72 going into the fourth.

    George and Leonard combined for seven straight points in the fourth and Kennard kept hitting, too, pushing the Clippers’ lead to 104-80.

    “How he played was huge, just seeing him get his rhythm back,” Lue said of Leonard. “The last couple games just playing with more pace. He’s been feeling good.”

    The biggest roar came when Smart missed a pair of free throws, ensuring fans free chicken sandwiches. Smart finished with three points and five fouls.

    George and Leonard were part of the Clippers’ 17-8 spurt in the second. Los Angeles ran off 11 points in a row as part of a 20-3 burst in the first.

    TIP-INS

    Celtics: Al Horford (personal reasons) is expected to rejoin the team when it returns home this weekend. … Former Clipper Blake Griffin started in Horford’s place. He picked up a technical foul in the second quarter for grabbing the net.

    Clippers: Norman Powell (left groin strain) is progressing well in individual workouts, but there’s no timetable for his return. … Ivica Zubac was a game-time decision to start after experiencing right groin soreness in Saturday’s game. He had four points, three rebounds and five fouls in 17 minutes.

    UP NEXT

    Celtics: At the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in the second game of a back-to-back on Boston’s second-longest road trip of the season.

    Clippers: Host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in the second of five straight home games.

    ———

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Lue: No timetable for Leonard’s return to Clippers’ lineup

    Lue: No timetable for Leonard’s return to Clippers’ lineup

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    LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard sat out for the eighth time this season for the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night, and there’s no timetable for his return.

    Leonard has appeared in just two games for the Clippers since the season began on Oct. 20. He’s averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and two assists. He missed all of last season while rehabbing from surgery for a partially torn ACL in his right knee.

    “We knew coming off an ACL it wasn’t going to be a straight line. We talked about it before the season,” coach Tyronn Lue said before the Clippers hosted the Utah Jazz. “The biggest thing is he’s progressing well. We’re just going to follow the lead of our medical staff. We got to be smart about the situation.”

    Leonard didn’t join the Clippers on their recent two-game trip to Texas. Lue said Leonard has been working out on his own.

    “He’s progressing and he’s getting better, so that’s the most important thing,” the coach said. “There’s really not a timeframe of when he’s going to be back.”

    The Clippers have major aspirations to win the franchise’s first NBA championship and Leonard figures heavily in those plans.

    The team was 5-4 and had won three in a row heading into Sunday night.

    ———

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Clippers edge Rockets 95-93 on George’s clutch jumpers

    Clippers edge Rockets 95-93 on George’s clutch jumpers

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    LOS ANGELES — Paul George hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points as the Los Angeles Clippers edged past the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

    Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who played without Kawhi Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.

    K.J. Martin scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.

    George’s 3-pointer tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.

    George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.

    Gordon’s shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he’d been fouled.

    George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George’s second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.

    George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.

    Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and Martin combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.

    Martin had Houston’s first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.

    The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.

    TIP-INS

    Rockets: Jae’Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season’s first four games. He’s day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.

    Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. … Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.

    LEONARD TO STAY HOME

    Leonard won’t be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.

    “He’s frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “Then not being on the floor, now you can’t travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it’s not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he’s going through.”

    UP NEXT

    The teams meet again Wednesday in Houston.

    ———

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Kawhi off bench: Wait nothing after 82 games

    Kawhi off bench: Wait nothing after 82 games

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    LOS ANGELES — After missing all of last season, Kawhi Leonard opted to wait a little longer before making his much-anticipated return for the LA Clippers.

    For the first time with the team, Leonard decided not to start in order to maximize his limited minutes. He ended up finishing the game as the Clippers beat the Los Angeles Lakers once again. Leonard scored 14 points, including a 21-foot jumper with 52.3 seconds remaining to help seal a 103-97 win at Crypto.com Arena.

    The Clippers beat their hallway rival for the eighth straight time despite their franchise player not checking into the game until the 6:25 mark in the second quarter and playing three stints that totaled 21 minutes.

    “It was long,” Leonard said of his wait to come into the game. “But I waited 82 games last year, so I didn’t think 15 minutes would be that long.”

    In his first game back since tearing his right ACL in Game 4 of the second round against the Utah Jazz on June 14, 2021, Leonard was a reserve for the first time since November 2013, when he was with the San Antonio Spurs.

    Leonard said he made the decision to not start after going over data and running simulations in practice with him starting and subbing in. Leonard and the Clippers’ goal is for him to stay healthy and be at his strongest for the postseason with the team expected to contend for a championship. They want to maximize his minutes as he works his way back, and have him play those minutes during the most impactful stretches and finish the game.

    “One scenario with me starting, I would have been sitting like 35 minutes real time,” Leonard said of starting and still being able to finish the game. “That’s way too long. So I just thought this was the best situation. But we’ll see how it goes moving forward.”

    Leonard didn’t waste any time once he finally got back on the floor. He buried his first two shots, both from midrange, where he so often likes to operate.

    “First [Leonard] got the rebound, went coast-to-coast and hit his little patented fadeaway,” said John Wall, who hit 7 of 15 shots and scored 15 points in 24 minutes in his first game since April 23, 2021. “It’s all about rhythm and pace for him.

    “He’s a guy that’s like a machine and he works on his stuff, he sticks with what he wants to. And he basically treats it like a workout. Like he doesn’t see anybody in front of him. It’s all about him missing or making a shot.”

    Leonard didn’t have his rhythm from 3-point range, where he shot 1-for-4. But he made some pivotal plays, drawing a charge off LeBron James late in the fourth and knocking in that jumper with under a minute to go to give the Clippers a six-point cushion after the Lakers erased a 15-point, second-half deficit.

    “I did this before,” Leonard said of coming off the bench. “This is how I started my career. That’s how I approached it mentally. Act like I was in foul trouble, and once I check in the second quarter, it’s time to play basketball.”

    Leonard acknowledged that he likely will not play in at least one of this weekend’s back-to-back games at Sacramento and then at home against Phoenix.

    “You gotta gradually play minutes in order to get the ACL strong,” Leonard said. “Once you start playing 38 minutes first game, it could easily weaken up, but I’m listening to the doctor with that.

    “It’s a long season. We wanna get in the playoffs and want me to play in the playoffs.”

    As for how long he plans on coming off the bench, Leonard said he likely needs to see his minutes increase back to around the 34.1 minutes he averaged in 2020-21.

    “It’s all about how my knee responds,” Leonard said. “We’ll see how it feels tomorrow and then gradually go as time goes forward and I’ll start adding minutes and once I’m ready to play 35 minutes — I think I played 33 minutes when I was healthy — that’s probably when you’ll see me starting.”

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  • George: ‘Kawhi’s the 1, I’m the 2’ on Clippers

    George: ‘Kawhi’s the 1, I’m the 2’ on Clippers

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    LOS ANGELES — Paul George set aside any ego and made it clear that Kawhi Leonard is the LA Clippers‘ No. 1 option and that he is the second star in the All-Star duo’s pecking order.

    As they enter their fourth season together with championship expectations, George was asked if there are any past championship wing tandems that he and Leonard can use as a potential blueprint.

    “Yeah, look at the [Miami Heat] wing-wing DWade [Dwyane Wade] and LeBron ]James],” George said Sunday following the Clippers’ 119-117 preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. “I think it just comes down to — listen, Kawhi is the No. 1. And I am totally fine with that. I think I try to complement him with being able to take the load off of him.

    “Everybody says, ‘Kawhi [and] you are 1 and 1, [or] 1A, 1B.’ I’ll publicly say, I’m the 2. Kawhi’s the 1, I’m the 2. So that part we nipped in the bud. Like there’s no ego when it comes to that.”

    This is a pivotal season for Leonard and George, who are looking to make their first trip to the NBA Finals together since teaming up on the Clippers in the summer of 2019.

    Leonard, describing how he and George have grown together as leaders and their dynamic as a duo, pointed to their “genuine relationship.”

    “We’re both unselfish,” said Leonard. “My 12th year, his 13th year … we’ve been through this before, so I feel like just having those years under our belt and obviously, like I said, we have a genuine relationship and it just carries over [into how we lead].”

    The Clippers’ season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 20 will be the duo’s first meaningful game together since Leonard tore his right ACL in Game 4 of Los Angeles’ second-round playoff series against Utah on June 14, 2021. George picked up the load and led the Clippers to their first-ever Western Conference finals appearance that postseason without Leonard.

    With Leonard missing the entirety of the 2021-22 season, George carried the Clippers until he suffered an elbow injury to his shooting arm that kept him out for three months. He came back late in the regular season but missed the Clippers’ second and final play-in game due to COVID-19.

    Since teaming up in L.A., George and Leonard have played in a total of 104 regular-season and postseason games together. Now the two are back sharing the court with George having been the Clippers’ top scoring option since June 2021. And George says he is perfectly fine with Leonard returning to the role of first option.

    “I believe in my talent and what I can do,” George said. “And I believe on any night of what I am capable of. But I feel my job is to make everybody better. That is what I try to do when I am on the floor, just make the game easy for everybody, whether it is creating or just being aggressive … and making reads off of that.

    “I think we will go a long ways if everybody just knows their role and what we bring to the table. Everything else is easy, we just roll the ball out and we get after it.”

    George and other teammates say Leonard has shown a joy in being back after spending the last 13-14 months bulking up and strengthening his knee. Clippers coach Ty Lue says his reserved star has even opened up more.

    “I mean I missed a whole year missing basketball,” Leonard said. “I went down in one of the worst ways, in a playoff run. Just don’t wanna take anything for granted and just trying to live in that moment and bring a sense of energy for the team.”

    “I’m young still,” added Leonard, who is 31. “So any chance you get that taken away from you and you don’t feel like you’re done … You just miss it, you know what I mean?”

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