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Despite a 41-point effort from Kawhi Leonard, the LA Clippers stumbled to a 121-127 loss against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. Tyronn Lue's men are already down 0-2 in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs and will now be playing their next two games away from home.
Elimination in the first round is a real possibility for the LA Clippers, who have championship aspirations. If the Mavericks do see out the Clippers, this won't be the first instance of the latter running short of expectations. But this time, the ramifications could be bigger.
Kawhi Leonard has a player option for the 2021-22 season. If the LA Clippers were to get knocked out in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, The Klaw would definitely think twice before committing his future to the franchise.
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Should Kawhi Leonard leave LA Clippers if they underperform again?
Kawhi Leonard teamed up with Paul George back in 2019 to win championships. Anything less would certainly make the two-time Finals MVP's mind dwindle a bit. So far, the LA Clippers haven't even gotten close to winning a title.
When the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets last season, a lack of chemistry was cited as the main reason behind their failure. But after changing head coaches and making adjustments to the roster, cohesion cannot be the only factor to consider if the Clippers choke in the playoffs again.
At some point, you'll have to question whether the LA Clippers' current squad is good enough to win a ring in the future. The answer to that question will be a big no, and unfortunately, the franchise doesn't really have the assets to improve either.
The LA Clippers sent most of their draft stock to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Paul George trade. They've tied down George, Marcus Morris and Luke Kennard to long-term contracts, thereby putting pressure on finances. The front office also failed to attract star talent in free agency this summer.
The LA Clippers cannot add much to what they have right now. Most of their players are aging as well and Terance Mann is potentially the only youngster on their roster with upside.
With a potentially stagnated roster at hand, especially one that's underperforming and could only get worse over the next few years, the LA Clippers will find it tough to retain Kawhi Leonard beyond this season.
Kawhi Leonard would be the most coveted free agent this summer
Even if Kawhi Leonard may feel the urge to build his legacy by staying put and trying again with the LA Clippers, he won't be able to ignore the allure of free agency altogether. Leonard will be the biggest superstar on the market this summer if he chooses to decline his player option and there are some really good landing spots available for him.
For starters, Kawhi Leonard could opt to sign for the New York Knicks, who'll have cap space to add more key players even after scooping him up. A trio of Leonard, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle would certainly be one to watch out for in the East.
Kawhi Leonard could also take the LeBron James route and move to South Beach by joining the Miami Heat. There were rumors of him wanting to team up with Jimmy Butler in 2019, but the latter had already committed to the Heat. It would be a good opportunity for Leonard to finally join forces with Butler.
In a nutshell, Leonard could force his way into a better situation via free agency if things don't pan out with the LA Clippers this season.
Final verdict
The possibility of Kawhi Leonard leaving the LA Clippers depends on them getting knocked out in the first round. Even though it seems likely at this point, comebacks are not a rarity in the NBA Playoffs, especially when superstars are involved.
Interestingly, the last instance of a team coming back from a 0-2 deficit was of the Toronto Raptors, who won four straight to eliminate the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals. Kawhi Leonard elevated his play to make that possible two years ago, so there's every chance that he could do the same again.
But if the LA Clippers are unable to get out of their current rut despite Leonard's best efforts, there's no reason for him to stay with the franchise beyond this season.
