The Los Angeles Lakers had a chance to acquire Kawhi Leonard during the infamous 2019 offseason. Leonard ended up signing with the rival Los Angeles Clippers after they traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and multiple draft picks for Paul George. The move backfired on the Clippers due to Leonard’s health failing them, and recent controversies putting them under fire for a controversial deal.
Accusations that Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, demanded contract perks such as fraudulent endorsement deals and other benefits outside of his NBA contract has led to the league investigating the Clippers. Further reporting on the 2019 offseason has brought the Lakers back into the story as the other team Leonard considered joining.
The New York Times reported that Leonard’s controversial uncle made bold demands to Lakers President and controlling owner Jeanie Buss. “Leonard didn’t just want a max deal. He wanted unlimited access to a private plane, a house and guaranteed off-court earnings from endorsements,” the report stated. Lakers management found the demands comical, especially with LeBron James and Anthony Davis already under contract.
Jeanie Had Strong Reaction To Demands
Uncle Dennis tried to push more demands on the Lakers, knowing that adding Leonard would have made them favorites to win the next few NBA championships. Another negotiation topic reportedly revolved around Leonard receiving an ownership stake in the team. The report noted that Magic Johnson’s trajectory from player to part-owner was referenced.
Buss found these demands to be outrageous and even suggested that Dennis get them in writing from other teams:
“Outside of the negotiations, team sources said, the Lakers laughed at Robertson’s audacity. And to Robertson himself, team president Jeanie Buss underscored the outrageousness of the requests by saying he should attempt to get other teams to agree to his terms in writing.”
The Lakers refused to take the bait, even knowing that meant Leonard would likely join the other Los Angeles team that shared the same arena at the time. Fans loved this offseason since both teams felt like the West favorites to set up some must-watch match-ups, but today’s context adds more fascinating tidbits from that time.
The Clippers Did What Jeanie Didn’t
Everyone knew the Clippers faced immense pressure in 2019 to make a big move. Owner Steve Ballmer wanted to eventually open a new arena and to establish the team as a true rival to the legacy Lakers franchise. Leonard looked like the best player in the world after leading the Toronto Raptors to an NBA championship.
Unfortunately, health and other issues caused the Clippers to fall apart each time they got close. The deal already looked bad before the accusations, with the team losing a future MVP Gilgeous-Alexander for the aging George. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Lakers have won NBA championships over the past six years, while the Clippers have yet to reach the NBA Finals.
Jeanie Buss agreeing to Leonard’s contract demands might have delivered more than just Lakers ring in that time frame, but it also would have brought far more scrutiny today. The NBA has avoided titles feeling tainted since Leonard and the Clippers’ alleged rule-breaking never paid off to bring the ultimate goal of an NBA Championship.
