Report: 'Not Accurate' Kawhi Leonard Recruited Paul George to Demand LAC Trade

Kawhi Leonard reportedly didn't recruit Paul George to demand a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder before they both landed with Los Angeles Clippers.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Tuesday previous speculation about Leonard's involvement in the trade process was "not accurate" and noted George was already interested in joining the Clippers and merely spoke with the reigning NBA Finals MVP to seal the deal.

The details are in contrast to previous reporting on the topic, which painted the typically low-key Leonard taking on an aggressive recruiting role before signing with L.A.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported July 6 that the former San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors standout was "meeting, calling and texting" George trying to convince him to leave OKC.

"For a quiet guy, he's a hell of a recruiter," a source told Shelburne.

The information generated a lot of attention because it seemed completely out of character for Leonard, who's always maintained an understated public persona.

Impressively, the Clippers were able to navigate behind the scenes to get a commitment from Leonard and complete the George deal while most of the talk surrounded the Raptors and rival Los Angeles Lakers.

It's allowed the Clips to become the favorite to win the 2020 NBA title with 7-2 odds, which puts them slightly ahead of the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks (both 9-2), per Vegas Insider.

Meanwhile, George's departure for L.A. led the Thunder to shift focus to the future as they also traded point guard Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets. They received a combined seven first-round picks and the option for four first-round pick swaps in the two deals.