One thing that has become apparent about the Los Angeles Clippers’ pursuit of Kawhi Leonard has been that the team made it a point to get him a running mate. While the Clippers had a really good core in place, they also had a whole lot of stuff to potentially trade to get a second superstar, something that came to fruition when they acquired Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Leonard had apparently called around to see if anyone would be up for joining him in L.A. before George came to fruition, with reports early in the process linking him to Jimmy Butler and Kevin Durant. The Clippers, too, did their due diligence, combing the league for someone who could appease Leonard’s desire to play with a second star in their hopes of landing the reigning NBA Finals MVP.
A new piece by Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic shows just how wide of a net Los Angeles cast with the hopes of acquiring a second superstar. The team called around to a few other franchises, with one phone call heading to the Houston Rockets to discuss the availability of James Harden.
It probably was not an especially long phone call.
As the Clippers surveyed the NBA scene, it wasn’t yet clear whom they could pair with the 2019 Finals MVP. They analyzed and studied every roster and star player in the league, attempting to find out who would best fit alongside Leonard, both on the hardwood and from a personality standpoint.
The Clippers inquired about Washington’s Bradley Beal and Houston’s James Harden, according to league sources, but neither star was available.
Beal, of course, would have been an excellent running mate for Leonard, but the thought of getting Harden is absolutely fascinating. Still, we have to imagine that the Clippers were pretty happy with how it all turned out, even if getting George cost them a pretty penny. As for the Rockets, not only did they hold onto Harden, but they got him a new running mate in his old pal Russell Westbrook, so they’re probably almost as content with their summer as the Clippers.
