Kawhi Leonard to Golden State Warriors is becoming more unlikely

NBA fans all over were laughing when the LA Clippers fell into an 0-2 hole versus Dallas in round one. The Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, were salivating at the thought of another failed season in LA that could potentially drive Kawhi Leonard straight into their hands.

On paper, it all made sense. The Clippers went all-in on winning a title and if their first two seasons ended in catastrophe, there is plenty of evidence to suggest Leonard might have pushed the eject button and opted to join a different team. While salary would be an issue, a sign-and-trade with Andrew Wiggins always opened the possibility for this wild scenario to become a reality.

And then, the Clippers stormed back to defeat the Mavericks. Soon after, facing another 0-2 hole against Utah, the Clippers once again rallied together to tie the series a few days ago. With their recent success, it is becoming more and more unlikely that Kawhi to Golden State actually happens.

The LA Clippers might be doing just enough to ensure Kawhi Leonard doesn’t opt out this summer to join the Golden State Warriors.

I know, many of you probably didn’t get your hopes too high, anyways. Nevertheless, the idea of the Claw playing next to the Splash Brothers was an electric one. Considering the fact that the Dubs managed to actually sign Kevin Durant a few years ago, a pipe dream like Kawhi was one that seemed feasible.

But, big-time players make big-time players, and Leonard has been the best player in the playoffs this year. Seriously. Leonard is averaging 30.4 points on nearly 60 percent shooting this postseason! In addition to being automatic offensively, he’s still a menace to society on the defensive end. Few players in the league right now are capable of matching his two-way dominance.

There are still obvious concerns around the Clippers. Paul George, for one, has been wildly inconsistent. So much so that despite being arguably the most talented team in the West, it feels risky to pick LA as the favorite to beat anybody. Playoff P is shooting 43-of-70 (41 percent) from the floor in four games against Utah. In their losses, George is just 12-of-35 (34 percent).

Even so, the Clippers are on the verge of reaching the Conference Finals without their best frontcourt player in Serge Ibaka. It’s very possible that even if they end up without a title this year, Kawhi will have no problem hunkering down for one more year in LA.

If anybody ends up on the chopping block, it would likely be George. The Warriors could certainly make a move to trade for PG, but, I think the Dubs will be better off shifting their attention away from the Clippers and focusing on other routes to buffing their roster.