NBA Executive: Lakers Dodged a Bullet by Not Signing Kawhi; His Uncle More Difficult than LeBron and Rich Paul Combined

On September 4th Beijing time, as Ballmer and the Clippers face a precarious situation, Lakers fans might feel relieved they didn’t sign Leonard. According to Lakers Daily, an NBA executive said the Lakers avoided a disaster by failing to sign Leonard in 2019.

“The Lakers were very eager to get Kawhi back then,” said the NBA executive. “Thank God they didn’t sign him; they truly escaped a catastrophe. Think dealing with Rich Paul (LeBron’s agent) and LeBron is tough? Dennis’s uncle (Dennis Robertson, Kawhi’s uncle) is even more difficult. He believes Kawhi is the second coming of Jesus.”

“The Lakers dodged a bullet by not acquiring Kawhi. This guy hardly plays, doesn’t promote the team he plays for, and since joining the Clippers, he’s already made headlines twice due to negative news. For Ballmer and others, this is a massive headache.”

After Leonard won a championship with the Raptors, the Lakers made a strong effort to recruit him, but following the recent contract scandal, many feel not signing him was actually the best outcome for the Lakers.

Leonard is not your typical NBA superstar. Although a beast on the court with career averages of 20.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, he’s not the face of a franchise. Besides being quiet and reserved, he has minimal media exposure and rarely does anything to promote himself or the team.

Not to mention his injury and load management history, which severely limited his playing time. Over the past eight seasons, Leonard has played more than 60 games only once. For the Clippers, the 2023-24 season is the only time he’s appeared in over 57 games.

The Clippers are now under scrutiny for allegedly using a fraudulent company (Aspiration) as a front to pay Leonard an extra $28 million off the books. If found guilty, the Clippers will face severe penalties.

Dennis previously orchestrated Leonard’s messy departure from the Spurs, and now under Dennis’s influence, Leonard’s NBA contract might be voided, with his reputation possibly irreparably damaged. Back in 2019, Dennis tried to get the Lakers to agree to these illicit payments, but Jeanie Buss refused, explaining why Leonard chose the Clippers instead.

Had the Lakers signed Leonard, they might now be facing these issues, potentially losing out on Doncic or jeopardizing LeBron’s loyalty. At minimum, they would be distracted by this scandal and could lose multiple draft picks.

Lakers Daily points out that the Lakers are in a much better position than the Clippers now. With LeBron and Doncic, they have two superstars who frequently play, bring passion and attention to the team, and have managed to avoid controversy. The Clippers, however, might already be regretting the day they signed Leonard.