Boston Celtics legends Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce had an extensive discussion about the Los Angeles Clippers on KG’s podcast. While on KG Certified, Garnett and Pierce weighed in on the $150 million contract extension that Kawhi Leonard got from the Clippers and how the team is in a ‘win-now’ mode, with their championship window being now.
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While on the podcast, Garnett said, “Man, Kawhi got that 150 (million) for that three-year extension?” Paul Pierce went on to mention how if the Los Angeles Clippers gave Leonard an extension, they’d eventually have to bring their other stars back as well.
As per Paul Pierce, Los Angeles’ front office is finally seeing the full potential of this squad. Moreover, the Clippers are going into a new arena, and they cannot go there during a rebuild mode if the team is hoping to sell tickets.
The Clippers recently signed Kawhi Leonard to a three-year deal. According to CBS Sports, Leonard was eligible for a four-year/ $223 million extension. So, this move by Leonard was a little bit of a sacrifice in the hopes that Paul George and James Harden would stay with the Clippers as well.
As the podcast went on, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett talked about how the Los Angeles Clippers are the only team in the Western Conference that seems good enough to take on the Denver Nuggets.
The two hosts pointed out teams like the Lakers, Warriors, and the Suns as teams who do not seem well-equipped to take down the Nuggets. Garnett brought up young teams like the Timberwolves and the Thunder who are building for the future in the now.
This prompted him to point out how the Clippers have to win now leading Pierce to say, “This is they window.” Pierce’s words implied that the Clippers have to win in the next three to four seasons, given how the players have been performing, leading the team to give them extensions.
Will the stars of LA follow in the footsteps of Kawhi Leonard?
Kawhi Leonard is an exceptional two-way player. While most two-way players are great at offense and decent on defense, Leonard’s efforts on the defensive end are evident enough that separate him from the rest.
However, the only concern with giving Kawhi Leonard such a big extension is his history of injuries. Leonard has dealt with nagging injuries in the past few years and the fact that he is 32 years old does not put anyone’s mind at ease.
But despite Leonard’s injury-riddled past, Clippers president Lawrence Frank saw no hesitation in giving The Klaw this extension. During a press conference, Lawrence said, “There was no hesitation with it. In this game, anybody can get injured, but not anyone can be a top-five player, and Kawhi is.”
As mentioned above, Kawhi Leonard took the smaller deal in the hopes of George and Harden signing extensions with the team as well. This is what Leonard had to say. “I think most of the guys are coming back. Signing the extension gives us a chance to sign both of those players.”
Now after Kawhi Leonard’s extension, Paul George too is optimistic about his situation with the team. “Yeah, I mean, 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.”
The Los Angeles Clippers are in the fourth spot in the West with a 25-13 overall record. Given how the squad is clicking on all cylinders, one can only assume that the Clippers are looking to make a deep playoff run this offseason.
