Why Clippers may never escape Kawhi Leonard, Paul George era

The Los Angeles Clippers went all in for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the summer of 2019. It looked like the kind of gamble a franchise has to take if it wants to escape decades of irrelevance. 

Years later, the reality is brutal: only one Western Conference Finals appearance, and a future that looks like purgatory.

At the time, the Clippers thought they pulled off a masterstroke. Leonard had led the Toronto Raptors to a title in 2019, and by trading for George, they secured a superstar duo that instantly made them contenders. 

The cost was massive: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA), Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two pick swaps. It felt steep, but the logic was clear: championship windows don’t open often. 

SGA deal looks like one of the worst in NBA history

However, SGA turned into everything the Clippers had hoped for with George — he’s an NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP and the leader of the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC built a dynasty with the assets the Clippers gifted them, while L.A. is left with nothing. Paul George walked in free agency to join the Philadelphia 76ers last summer, and the Clippers didn’t get a single asset in return.

Meanwhile, Leonard's story in Los Angeles has been marred by injuries, load management, and now a scandal that could make things even worse. 

Reports allege that he received tens of millions of dollars through a shady “endorsement” scheme linked to a fraudulent company partially financed by Clippers owners Steve Ballmer. The league is investigating whether this was an attempt to skirt salary cap rules. If the NBA comes down hard, the Clippers could be punished with the loss of up to five future first-round picks, massive fines or even the voiding of Kawhi’s contract.

The Clippers already emptied their war chest for George. They don’t control their own draft capital until the next decade. If the NBA strips even more picks, this team could be draft-starved for the better part of 10 years. That’s not just a setback — it’s franchise-killing.

Leonard is no longer the player they thought they were getting. His body has betrayed him, and the days of him carrying a team through four playoff rounds feel long gone. Without George, the roster is deeper than ever, but they’ve locked themselves into expensive contracts with vets like James Harden and Bradley Beal.

The result? A team that's too expensive to rebuild properly and flawed to win at the highest level.

The Clippers thought the names alone would guarantee banners. Instead, they mortgaged their future for one playoff run in 2021, where they reached the Western Conference Finals — and even then, Leonard was injured. 

That’s the lone highlight of an era that was supposed to redefine the franchise.

Thunder are everything Clippers could have been

They have SGA, depth, draft flexibility and a championship to show for it. Every time SGA lights up the scoreboard or raises a trophy, it’s a reminder of what the Clippers gave away.

And now, Leonard's scandal threatens to make it worse. If his contract is voided, the Clippers lose their superstar for nothing. If picks are stripped, their rebuild gets delayed half a decade. A franchise that spent billions on a new arena forced to sell fans on a hopeless product? A nightmare scenario.

The Clippers may never escape the Leonard-George era. Even when the players are gone, the damage remains. The wasted assets, the lost opportunities, the possible sanctions — it all adds up to a team stuck in purgatory.