Lakers Rumors: Latest Buzz on Kawhi Leonard's Decision and L.A.'s Plan B

Kawhi Leonard is coming to Hollywood—but not to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The reigning Finals MVP opted for Staples Center's other residents and agreed to join the Los Angeles Clippers late Friday night/early Saturday morning, per Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.

The Clips also brokered a deal for All-Star swingman Paul George, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, forming the backbone of the NBA's newest contender.

It's a crushing blow for the Lakers, who felt they had pole position in the Leonard sweepstakes. (Adding insult to insult, the Lakers were also in the driver's seat for George at one time.)

The lone silver lining for L.A., though, is clarity. The fact Leonard isn't coming hurts, but knowing for sure that he isn't allows the franchise to (finally) move on with the rest of its offseason plan.

We'll dive into what drove Leonard to L.A's other team and how the Purple and Gold are responding below.

Fear of Lakers' Dynasty Drove Clippers' Aggressiveness

While the Golden State Warriors' rash of ill-timed injuries helped open the league's championship field for the first time in years, Leonard going to the Lakers could've closed it right back up.

Between Leonard, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, L.A. could've arguably had three of the NBA's top-five players. This would've been the Big Three model on steroids, the kind of collection that, on paper at least, was a championship shoo-in regardless of how the rest of the roster took shape.

The Clippers could read the writing on the wall. As Wojnarowski put it, they "became the last line of defense for the balance of power in the NBA."

Sources told the ESPN scribe that "the Clippers had come to believe that, without a deal for George, Leonard was prepared to sign with the Lakers."

So, the Clippers signed off on sending a massive haul to the Oklahoma City Thunder for George. The final tally included five future first-round picks (four unprotected), two pick swaps, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari, per Wojnarowski.

It's an incredible cost, but the Clippers deemed it necessary. They knew they had to find a star-level sidekick to land Leonard, and at some point, Leonard communicated George was that player with the belief that he was "the co-star that he needed to combat James and Davis," sources told Wojnarowski.

Time only knows how the revamped Lakers and Clippers measure up to one another. But the battle for L.A. may now decide the fate of the entire NBA.

Lakers Quickly Shift To Plan B

Truth be told, Plan B has shifted a couple times throughout this process.

Had they not been forced to wait on Leonard, they could've been in the bidding for everyone from D'Angelo Russell and JJ Redick to Trevor Ariza and Terrence Ross. But since they did wait⁠—a decision you make 11 times out of 10 if it means potentially netting an all-galaxy elite⁠—they're now scrambling to pluck what they can from a thinning pool of free agents.

First came three-and-D ace⁠—and Leonard's longtime running mate⁠—Danny Green, who scored a two-year, $30 million deal, per Wojnarowski. Then, they brought back two of their own, with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope netting a two-year, $16 million pact, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, and JaVale McGee collecting a two-year, $8.2 million deal, per Shelburne.

Scoring guard Quinn Cook was the next domino to drop. Per Haynes, Cook cashed in on a two-year, $6 million agreement.

Prior to Leonard's decision, and L.A.'s subsequent spending frenzy, a few other targets appeared. The Lakers are one of several teams interested in Justin Holiday, per The Athletic's Michael Scotto. They were also "in mix" for Trey Burke, per Marc Berman of the New York Post, although it's fair to wonder if that's still the case now that Cook has climbed on board.

They aren't done shopping yet. As Yahoo Sports' Keith Smith noted, they could still have between $1.2 million and nearly $9 million to continue filling out the roster.

With a clear priority on shooting⁠—something last season's squad badly lacked⁠—the Lakers appear to be giving James and Davis a strong supporting cast, even if it's without the third star they coveted.