"Kawhi's knees were f**ked" - NBA analyst hypothesizes reason for Clippers' reluctance to extend Paul George's contract
While Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers were able to reach an agreement on a contract extension last season, the same couldn't be said for the Clippers and Paul George. Heading into the offseason, reports indicated that George and the Clippers were still a ways off when it came to a potential contract extension.
Ultimately, this summer, the two sides parted ways, with George inking a four-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers after the Clippers showed no interest in offering him the four-year, $212 million deal he requested. The way NBA analyst Bill Simmons sees things, the franchise did so because of Leonard.
As he explained on the latest episode of his podcast, the Clippers were well aware of the fact that Leonard's knees weren't in good shape. Because of that, the team didn't want to offer George the long-term deal he wanted in order to free up cap space.
“I actually think [the Clippers] knew Kawhi's knees were fu**** and that's why they didn't want to give Paul George all that money," Simmons said. "I think that especially when you think like he goes to the Olympic team.
"They kind of gently sent him packing in a couple of days, and it's like, 'Yeah, Kawhi's decided to drop out.' They fu***** pushed his a** out. Like they were, 'We need 12 guys, and you cannot, you're not in shape to play, and we don't think you're going to be healthy.'"
Check out the conversation in the video above at the 26:30 mark.
Clippers are expecting Kawhi Leonard to be ready for season opener despite knee procedure
Throughout Paul George's contract negotiations with the team, it was clear that Steve Ballmer wanted to ensure he fielded a competitive team this season, which will be the first that the team plays in the all-new Intuit Dome.
As Ballmer indicated following the departure of George, he's confident that the LA franchise, in its current capacity, will be competitive. Late last month, however, news surfaced that Leonard had undergone a procedure on his knee to address swelling issues.
At the time the reports emerged, Leonard was considered to be day-to-day, leaving LA fans concerned that he could miss the beginning of the season. Now, according to the two-time NBA champ, he's feeling good and planning to be ready for the start of the season.
While speaking to media members at the end of September he explained, as relayed by USA Today:
“That’s the plan. I never plan to miss games. … It all depends on how my body is feeling, but I think it’s a positive thing to think I will play, but we are taking it day-by-day.”
“I’m happy that I’m feeling good. It’s feeling a lot better than it was. We are taking it one day at a time and one step at a time and hopefully, I can get through the playoffs this year.”
The team will play their first preseason game Saturday evening when they host the Golden State Warriors, leading up to their season opener on Oct. 23 against the Phoenix Suns.