Kawhi: 'It's no surprise' George left Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard said "it's no surprise" that former teammate Paul George left to join the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
"We knew what it was before the season," Leonard said after Team USA's practice Tuesday. "We knew what it was going to come down to. So, we talked the whole way through."
While the Clippers extended Leonard on a three-year deal in the middle of last season, George's extension talks faded, and the 34-year-old hit unrestricted free agency.
George signed a four-year, $212-million contract with Philadelphia hours after the Clippers announced they wouldn't offer a fourth season in a deal.
The Clippers dealt Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and five first-round picks to receive George on the same day they signed Leonard away from the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
George and Leonard made the playoffs in all four seasons they played together with the Clippers (Leonard missed the 2021-22 campaign with a torn ACL). However, they only won three total series in the postseason and never made the NBA Finals. They made six combined All-Star games.