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The Thunder have yet to officially start their NBA title defense, yet they’re already racking up postseason wins.
On Wednesday, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green rallied the Warriors to a 126–121 win over the Clippers in the play-in tournament. The loss not only ended L.A.’s season, but also gave Oklahoma City another lottery pick from the Clippers as a result of the 2019 trade that sent Paul George to L.A. to join Kawhi Leonard.
The pick is slotted at 12th overall, and carries a 7.1% chance to fall in the top four and a 1.5% chance to be the first overall pick. It’s a longshot—yet a year ago, the Mavericks won the lottery at 1.8%, drafting Cooper Flagg. And if the Warriors beat the Suns on Friday to advance to the playoffs, the pick would then be slotted 11th with a 9.4% chance to move up.
The George trade netted the Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named the league’s MVP last season, five first-round picks, and two pick swaps. One of those picks became Jalen Williams, who has become a strong co-star among other assets. This year’s draft is considered deeper than most with a flurry of teams tanking. (NBA commissioner Adam Silver plans to introduce new anti-tanking measures for the league’s Board of Governors to vote on next month.)
Despite losing their own pick, the Clippers can still potentially have one in the lottery. The team would receive the Pacers’ first-round pick if it falls between 5 and 9 as part of the February trade that sent Ivica Zubac to Indiana.
Kawhi ‘Not Stressing’ Over Aspiration
Meanwhile, Leonard may have played his final game as a Clipper on Wednesday.
The organization is still under NBA investigation for Leonard’s alleged no-show job with failed environmental startup Aspiration to circumvent the league’s salary cap. There is no timeline for when a potential punishment could be handed down until the investigation concludes. But if the organization is found guilty, the NBA could fine the Clippers, strip the organization of multiple draft picks, and/or void Leonard’s contract, which has one year left on it for $50.3 million after this season. This summer, he’s eligible to sign a two-year extension worth $126.1 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
After the loss, reporters asked Leonard if he’s thought about his future with the organization amid the Aspiration investigation.
“I never thought about it too much other than questions asked,” Leonard told reporters. “You’ll have to ask the NBA, not me. I’m not the one doing the investigation. … I think we’re going to be in the clear. I’m not stressing it.”
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