Los Angeles Clippers must sign Kevin Durant if Kawhi Leonard stays

The Los Angeles Clippers not landing Kawhi Leonard is now a legitimate threat as the team should seriously start considering other options.

There is a reason why sports fans should avoid getting ahead of themselves and Kawhi Leonard is proving why. Many people expected Kawhi Leonard to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers this summer and it is appearing that it is not as surefire as some thought.

Don’t get it wrong, there is still a chance that Leonard decides to join the Los Angeles Clippers as free agency has not even started. However, the reports that he is seriously considering re-signing with the Toronto Raptors are vastly different from the pro-Clippers reports that have been consistent over the last year.

The Clippers’ front office obviously has a plan B if Leonard does not come to Los Angeles but a lot of fans have not braced themselves if Leonard foregoes LA. And quite frankly, the Clippers do not have as many options to make them a true title-contender as it may seem.

Although the free agent class is as deep as it has been in some time, there still are not that many hugely impactful players that can be the premiere piece of a title contender.

Kyrie Irving doesn’t fit the guard-heavy roster, Jimmy Butler is not a star that will lead to titles, Klay Thompson is injured and is a number two, Kemba Walker doesn’t fit, DeMarcus Cousins still has health risks, the list goes on and on.

That is why the Clippers are going to be forced to sign another injured superstar, if he even opts out of his contract, in Kevin Durant.

Durant is likely going to miss all of next season after rupturing his Achilles in the NBA Finals, which has had a massive impact on the free agent market. Durant has always been pitched as an option for the Clippers, but now that he is hurt, the chances of the team pursuing him seem slim.

Heck, it has been reported that Durant’s Achilles injury has scared the Clippers off. This injury changed everything and a lot of fans might not even want to see the team pursue Durant.

But the fact of the matter is that it is all the team really has to turn into that true title contender that the fans have been hoping for. None of those other guys mentioned are going to be able to compete in the super team-filled NBA, especially with LeBron James and Anthony Davis now teaming up on the Lakers.

Sure, someone like Butler might make the Clippers a higher-seeded playoff team but it won’t do much to truly contend. Next thing you know the Clippers are stuck in the middle of making the playoffs but not making it far for the rest of Butler’s contract.

Players like Durant don’t come around often and with a reduced market, the Los Angeles Clippers cannot afford to let one year change their mind on signing a multi-year deal. There is no rush; let the young guys play and then the team can figure it out from there.

Danilo Gallinari‘s contract expires after this season and the Clippers will once again have space to add a max star, even with Durant. It does not all have to be done in one summer and getting Durant could be the start of a two-three year process that leads to the franchise’s first title.

It might not seem like the smartest thing to do in the short-term but with all of the assets and cap space that the Los Angeles Clippers have in the near future, the team cannot miss out on both Leonard and Durant. It will be a massive missed opportunity if so.