Coming off of their first-ever appearance in the Western Conference Finals, the LA Clippers have a lot to prove to begin the 2021-22 NBA season, but they will have to do so without their star forward in Kawhi Leonard.
In Game 4 of their Western Conference Semifinals series against the Utah Jazz, Leonard was bringing the ball up the floor with about just under five minutes to play and he was fouled by Utah.
On the play though, Leonard’s right knee seemed to buckle underneath him and the 5x All-Star seemed to be bothered by his knee.
Kawhi knocked down his two free-throws before exiting the game and his injury was downplayed after his departure from the game, but Leonard did not play the rest of the playoff for the Clippers and later on, it was revealed that Kawhi Leonard had suffered a partially torn ACL in his right knee.
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There is no timetable laid out yet for when we can expect the 2x Finals MVP back out on the court for the Clippers, but he will not be ready to go to begin the 2021-22 season, putting all the pressure of this franchise on Paul George’s shoulders.
George is no stranger to being “the guy” for his team, as he is a 7x All-Star and 6x All-NBA performer in his own right, but the LA Clippers may look to add another key talent to their roster in the absence of Kawhi Leonard.
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Being roughly $30M over the tax line for the 2021-22 season and having very few tradable assets, there are not many players the Clippers can actually have a chance at acquiring via a trade, but let’s take a look at three realistic and feasible trade targets for the Clippers to consider heading into the new season.
