NBA Legend Certain Kawhi Helped Sign George, Surprised By Player Recruiting

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George joined the Los Angeles Clippers this summer via free agency and trade respectively and the franchise has already been installed as the favorites to win the 2020 NBA championship. The 2019 NBA champion also revealed that he was close to joining the Los Angeles Lakers but chose the Clippers after they offered to sign George from Oklahoma City Thunder.

NBA legend Jerry West, who serves as a front office advisor to the Clippers admitted that it is hard for him to comprehend the possibility of players recruiting each other during his era. Leonard admitted after his move to Clippers that the plan to play with George was in motion since the latter wanted to leave the Indiana Pacers and he was with San Antonio Spurs.

West believes the Clippers have got the two best two-way players in the NBA and praised the franchise for pulling off the amazing feat of signing both players on the same night. He is also fairly certain that Leonard played a part in helping make the trade with Thunder possible for George but admits that they did have to pay a “big price” to get the deal over the line.

“I’ve never seen anything like it where players can recruit other players and so I guess that’s the modern-day NBA,” West said, as quoted on Fox Sports Asia. “It’s just so different. Players are free to move around, agents and players contribute where they go. … It really does wonders for a franchise. It’s just hard to describe the excitement within the Clipper organization."

“(Leonard and George) have complete admiration for each other’s game. I try to be completely fair and honest to all the players in this league, but I honestly think they’re the best two-way players in basketball and to get them on one night is pretty remarkable. … But those players talked and I’m not so sure that maybe if Kawhi hadn’t had some influence on Paul that we would’ve been able to make a deal with Oklahoma City. Obviously, we paid a big price,” he added.

The Clippers had to send back Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and multiple future first-round picks to land George from Thunder. But ensuring his arrival was key in their pursuit of Leonard, who was also in talks with the Lakers and Raptors.