NBA Exec Says Los Angeles Lakers ‘Dodged a Massive Bullet’ by Not Landing Kawhi Leonard in 2019

In the wake of Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers being investigated by the NBA for circumventing the salary cap, one league exec told Lakers Daily that the Los Angeles Lakers “dodged a massive bullet” by not landing the future Hall of Famer in 2019.

Leonard, who left the Toronto Raptors for the Clippers, met with the Lakers in 2019.

“The Lakers wanted Kawhi badly,” the NBA exec said. “Boy, they dodged a massive bullet by not landing him. You think Rich (Paul) and LeBron (James) are hard to deal with? Uncle Dennis (Dennis Robertson) is even worse. He thinks Kawhi is the second coming of Jesus.

“The Lakers dodged a massive bullet by not getting Kawhi. The guy barely plays, doesn’t market the team he’s on and now he’s in the news for the wrong reasons for the second time since signing with the Clippers. This has been a huge headache for Ballmer and Co.”

The Lakers won the 2020 championship against the Miami Heat at the Walt Disney World bubble behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Meanwhile, Leonard and the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2020 playoffs.

When Leonard was an unrestricted free agent in 2019, his uncle and chief business partner, Dennis Robertson, asked teams for improper benefits, according to The Athletic.

Leonard signed a three-year, $104 million contract with the Clippers, who have never reached the NBA Finals in franchise history.

One of the best players in NBA history, Leonard allegedly received a no-work contract from a now-bankrupt environmental company called Aspiration. On the latest episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, seven anonymous former employees for Aspiration said the four-year, $28 million endorsement deal Leonard received in 2022 was for a “no-show job” intended to “circumvent the (NBA) salary cap.”

Leonard, 34, signed a three-year, $149.5 million extension with the Clippers in January 2024. The two-time Finals MVP has appeared in 266 regular-season games and 35 playoff games with the Clippers.

A six-time All-Star, Leonard has played for the San Antonio Spurs, Raptors and Clippers. He has career averages of 20.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks.