Kawhi Leonard suffered a knee injury at the end of Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz and he was forced to sit out the remainder of the NBA postseason for the Clippers. Leonard missed his team’s next eight games and as a result, Los Angeles lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Phoenix Suns.
Now, the Clippers not only have to deal with the expiring contracts of Reggie Jackson and Nicolas Batum, but they may have to deal with Kawhi Leonard as well, who has a $36M player option for the 2021-22 season that he very well could opt out of.
Just because he could potentially opt out does not necessarily mean that Leonard would leave the Clippers, but he would definitely hear out other team’s offers and weigh all of his options this summer.
Keeping the 2x Finals MVP would be the #1 priority for Los Angeles should he opt out of his contract, but the Miami Heat are a real threat to potentially steal Kawhi away from the Clippers this offseason.
Miami finished 40-32 this season and ended up getting swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first-round of the playoffs. Injuries played a big role in the Heat’s demise this season, but this is a franchise that can and will compete for championship now.
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Team president Pat Riley is always looking to catch “big fish” in NBA free agency and Kawhi Leonard could be the next player he targets. He put his rings on the table and convinced LeBron James to sign with the Heat back in 2010, so Riley could very much do the same with Leonard this offseason, even though Kawhi has two rings of his own.
Jumping ship from the Clippers and signing with another championship contender is definitely something that could peak Kawhi Leonard’s interest if he becomes a free agent, which is why the Miami Heat have been mentioned in NBA rumors as planning to go “all-in” on potentially signing him.
With that said, let’s take a look at three reasons why Kawhi Leonard should consider joining the Miami Heat.
