Kawhi Leonard Claps Back at Lakers: They Didn’t Have to Wait for Me

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Clippers officially introduced Kawhi Leonard and Paul George at a press conference.

While speaking to Yahoo Sports, Leonard shot down rumors that he made the Los Angeles Lakers wait on him and that he was simply using them as leverage.

“If they didn’t want to wait for me, they didn’t have to,” Leonard said. “They had a big opportunity to sign me. [The Lakers] were close, but I ended up on the other side.”

According to reports, the Lakers feel like they “got played” by Leonard and his camp, as the two-time NBA Finals MVP delayed a decision until July 5, five days after the start of free agency.

Leonard supposedly asked the Purple and Gold to delay the official execution of the Anthony Davis trade, which was ultimately made on July 6, the end of the free-agent moratorium period. The reason given was that Leonard wanted the Lakers to retain their max cap slot, which they would’ve needed to sign him.

In the meantime, Leonard was waiting on the Clippers to acquire George from the Oklahoma City Thunder, which they did on July 5.