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Report: Clippers trade for Paul George after Kawhi Leonard agrees to deal

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) moves past Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George (13) during first-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Friday, March 22, 2019. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Kawhi Leonard won’t be the only superstar on the Los Angeles Clippers next season.

In addition to agreeing to a deal with Leonard, the Clippers will add Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George for a large amount of draft picks.

George finished third in NBA MVP voting last year after averaging 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game. One of the game’s best two-way players, George should combine with Leonard and point guard Patrick Beverley to form a simply terrifying defense under Doc Rivers’ coaching.

Reportedly going back to the Thunder are a whopping four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-rounder and two pick swaps, as well as All-Rookie point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari.

Leonard seems to have had his sights set on the Clippers early on, it was just a matter of team brass making the right move for another star to rival LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Simply put, this tectonic shift in both the NBA landscape and for Los Angeles sports.

Unlike the Lakers, the Clippers actually made the playoffs this year and will now add two All-NBA talents while seeming to keep together most of their team, though we’ll see how the salary cap math plays out with George’s $33 million cap hit.

George’s move west comes with some painful irony for the Lakers after George’s decision to stay in Oklahoma City last season in free agency rather than return home to Los Angeles and partner up with LeBron James and a promising young core.

One year later, the Clippers are executing that playbook, and they might have vaulted to the top of the Western Conference in the process.

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