The Clippers will likely be the betting favorites to win the NBA title when everyone wakes up on Saturday morning.
At 2 a.m. ET, it was reported that Kawhi Leonard was going to Los Angeles to join the Clippers along with Paul George who was heading to the Clippers in a stunning trade, sending a massive amount of picks to Oklahoma City. It was a shocking turn of events that seemingly came out of nowhere, leaving the Lakers (and Thunder) feeling blindsided by the sudden trade request from George and combination of the two wing stars on the Clippers.
When the news broke, most of the NBA world was in Las Vegas for NBA Summer League, and the celebration was on for the Clippers contingent. Patrick Beverley posted to Instagram a video of he and Lou Williams celebrating in a casino, yelling “don’t talk to me,” after the Clippers pulled off an unbelievable heist.
Pretty great reaction to the Paul George/Kawhi Leonard news from Pat Bev and Lou Will (via Pat's IG https://t.co/KMecXtF13y) pic.twitter.com/E6Rd1No6I8
— Sabreena Merchant (@sabreenajm) July 6, 2019
It’s a huge moment for an organization that has never tasted significant success and, despite a recent turnaround in public perception, had always been well behind the Lakers in interest. Now, they’ve matched the Lakers with a superstar combo and, unlike their Staples Center roommates, have a great deal of depth around them to make them a top contender to win the Finals. Beverley and Williams are big reasons for that depth, and they are clearly thrilled with their team’s aggressive moves.
