Kawhi Leonard was a busy man this past week as he had to decide which team he would be playing with next season. On Saturday, it was revealed that Kawhi would be going home to play with the Los Angeles Clippers alongside Paul George. Leonard was able to pull George away from the Oklahoma City Thunder, who ended up getting traded. It was a huge announcement that came with some other reports that Leonard was trying to recruit some other big-name players.
This morning, we reported that Leonard tried to bring Kevin Durant on board and now, it's been revealed that Kawhi tried to recruit Kyrie Irving, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe. As Lowe reports, Leonard's goal was to keep quiet this whole time and recruit players in private. Durant and George were a part of this recruitment, with Irving being a more low-key conversation. Of course, Irving and Durant ended up in Brooklyn.
Per Lowe:
"In one backroom power move, Kawhi Leonard rescued Paul George from a capped-out low-level playoff team; rejected the Lakers' attempts to build perhaps the greatest big three in basketball history; and left the league as open as it has been in years. The league's quietest superstar 'found his voice,' as one executive put it. He recruited George, Durant and even Kyrie Irving at points, sources say."
With Leonard and George on the roster, the Clippers are automatic contenders for the NBA championship.