Leonard, George pace Clippers on day where contract talks take center stage
The superstar duo each dropped 29 as the Clippers won their 24th game of the season.
LOS ANGELES — There’s no official Kawhi Leonard Day.
At least not yet.
But if there was to be one, Wednesday night was about as close as you could get to making it a reality as Leonard and the LA Clippers experienced a whirlwind.
When taking a macro view, it was somewhat of a full-circle moment for Leonard.
The forward, fresh off of signing a three-year extension with the Clippers earlier in the day, produced 29 points, seven assists, and three rebounds in 38 minutes while knocking off the Toronto Raptors, the team he left in free agency back in 2019 to sign with the Clippers.
“I don't know,” said Leonard when asked postgame what led to this being the right time for him to sign an extension with the franchise. “I mean, it was just time. I guess there’s really nothing to pinpoint a specific date on it. It was just time to do it and then it just happened.”
Before Wednesday’s game, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank met with media to discuss the Leonard extension, at one point saying, “A wise man in sports told me this a long time ago about decision making, ‘if it’s inevitable, do it.’”
Leonard scored 16 of his 29 in the first half while helping the Clippers to a narrow one-point lead heading into the break. It was the second half when help truly arrived — and not a moment too soon.
Like Leonard, Paul George had 29 points in 38 minutes. George also added seven rebounds and six assists, scoring 25 of his 29 in the second half as he willed the Clippers down the stretch to the team’s 24th win of the season and 21st in their last 27 games.
“Basketball is either you make it or miss it,” George said following the game. “It’s a long game. I always tell myself it’s a long game regardless of how I start the game off or how I finish, it’s a long game.”
George continued: “I trust the process of just getting lost in the game and just continue to shoot, continue to be aggressive, and just try to make my mark defensively more than anything.”
Also like Leonard, George is eligible for an extension with the Clippers as he holds a player option for 2024-25. Leonard declined his player option to sign his three-year extension. George was asked about his own personal extension talks in the wake of Leonard’s brand-new deal.
“I’m extremely excited and happy for Kawhi reaching a deal to hopefully make him a Clipper for the rest of his career,” George told reporters. “We’ll see my situation when we get there, but again, just happy they got the deal done on his end. I know he wants to stay here, myself as well. When my time comes, we’ll be ready for those conversations as well.”
When later asked if Leonard’s extension could be seen as the first stepping stone to George’s potential extension, George replied, “Absolutely.”
“You secure and lock in Kawhi. Definitely leaves the door open for myself, but very, very optimistic something will get done on my behalf, as well.”
George later added that he, his representation, and the Clippers are “working through it.”
Also looking to secure a new deal, but one — as Lawrence Frank reminded reporters — that won’t be available and able to be discussed until after the NBA Finals as per league rules, is guard James Harden.
Harden finished Wednesday’s game with 14 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds in 34 minutes while shooting 5-for-13 from the field.
Signing Harden would give the Clippers three players making near-max contract money as the team enters the Intuit Dome this summer. Season tickets for the arena were slated to go on sale on Thursday.
“I think for the most part everybody is coming back,” Leonard said after the game. “So with me signing an extension, I think it gives us a chance to sign both of those players.”
Terance Mann continued his hot start to the new year by making all three of his 3-point attempts and finishing with 13 points in 24 minutes. Mann has made 13 of his 21 long-range attempts in 2024, a quick progression to the mean for a player who has shown to be a capable shooter throughout his NBA career.
Ivica Zubac finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, notching yet another double-double. Norman Powell added 13 points off the bench, including eight in the fourth as the Clippers held off a spirited Toronto rally. Russell Westbrook and Amir Coffey both had six points off the bench while Daniel Theis notched four.
Guard Immanuel Quickley led Toronto with 25 points and RJ Barrett chipped in with 24 as the new arrivals from New York continued their stellar play since being traded. Dennis Schroder got the start, as Pascal Siakam was out with back spasms, and had 22. Forward Scottie Barnes finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Toronto dropped to 15-23 on the season.
The Clippers (24-13) head out on the road for a quick two-game trip where they’ll play the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves, two teams stuck at opposite ends of the standings spectrum.
Memphis (14-23) is without guard Ja Morant for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. They also are now without guard Marcus Smart for six weeks after he suffered a severe finger injury in Memphis’ win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. Forward Jaren Jackson Jr. did not play in Tuesday’s win and his status is uncertain at this time for Friday.
The Timberwolves (26-11) presently boast the top record in the Western Conference, but their loss on Wednesday night brought them one step closer to the Clippers who are now just two games back in the loss column, and overall, of Minnesota. It’s a far cry from where things looked just six weeks ago.
The Clippers have been rolling, and with Kawhi Leonard’s new deal firmly sewn up and, by all accounts, the team and Paul George marching towards a deal of their own, this is shaping up to potentially be the most stable time for the franchise since the arrival of both superstars.
But it has to be taken game-by-game and day-by-day.
And if Wednesday was any indication, Jan. 10 might become ‘Kawhi Leonard Day’ if a title soon follows.