Kawhi Leonard Was Ready For The Lakers Until One Wrong Move Changed Everything

In the summer of 2019, the city of Los Angeles was bracing for what could have been the most historic NBA merger in modern history. On one side, LeBron James, the undisputed face of basketball. On the other, Anthony Davis, fresh off a blockbuster trade. And in the wings? Kawhi Leonard, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, coming off one of the coldest playoff runs ever seen. The NBA world was moments away from witnessing the ultimate Big Three. But then—it all crumbled.

The reason? A “silly mistake” that still haunts the halls of Lakers headquarters to this day.

The Quiet Chess Move That Broke the Lakers’ Grand Plan

While most fans were distracted by flashy signings and Twitter speculation, behind the scenes, Kawhi Leonard was already making calculated moves. Unlike other superstars, Kawhi doesn’t seek out cameras or controversy—he watches, calculates, then strikes silently. So when his team started engaging with the Lakers during the 2019 free agency frenzy, there was one unspoken rule:

“No leaks. No noise. No egos.”

But Magic Johnson—Lakers legend, executive, and showman—broke that rule. Publicly. Loudly.

He went on record in multiple interviews claiming he spoke with Kawhi’s team, boasting about the discussions. It wasn’t just poor timing—it was a catastrophic breach of trust. Kawhi and his camp reportedly interpreted Magic’s loose lips as a red flag. If the Lakers couldn’t stay discreet now, how would they behave once he signed?

“Dennis and Kawhi decided we can’t trust the Lakers,” one insider later revealed. The quote sent waves across the NBA blogosphere—and confirmed what many had feared: the Lakers fumbled the bag.

Kawhi Chooses the Clippers… and Changes NBA History

On July 6, 2019, while Lakers fans were still refreshing their phones, Woj dropped a nuclear bomb on Twitter: Kawhi Leonard was signing with the Los Angeles Clippers—and bringing Paul George with him.

It wasn’t just a power move. It was a calculated hit to the Lakers’ dynasty-in-the-making.

In a single night, the balance of power in Los Angeles shifted. Not only did the Lakers lose out on Leonard, they watched him create a title-contending monster just down the hall in the same arena. The ultimate slap in the face.

To make things worse, it later emerged that Kawhi had kept tabs on how the Lakers handled the Anthony Davis situation, and how the front office leaked sensitive information throughout the season. It all added up.

The message was clear: Kawhi wanted no part of dysfunction.

What Could’ve Been: The Big Three That Never Was

Imagine this: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard on the same team.

The scoring, the defense, the rings. The Lakers would’ve had three generational talents, each capable of anchoring their own franchise, operating under one banner. Analysts say this hypothetical team could’ve won three or more titles easily, especially with Golden State in injury limbo and no other true superteam in sight.

Instead, the Lakers scrambled. They filled Kawhi’s intended salary slot with role players, signed Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley, and other patchwork contributors.

To their credit, LeBron and AD still managed to win the 2020 bubble title. But make no mistake—it wasn’t what the front office envisioned.

The Lakers went from dynasty to desperation overnight.

Inside the Fallout: Magic’s Regret and the Fans’ Fury

Following the announcement, Magic Johnson tried to downplay his involvement, saying he was simply “excited” and didn’t realize the weight of his words.

But for many fans, the damage was already done.

“We had it. We had Kawhi in our pocket,” one Lakers staffer reportedly told an NBA journalist off-record. “Then Magic couldn’t help himself.”

The irony? Magic wasn’t even officially part of the Lakers front office at the time. He had resigned earlier in April 2019. But his legacy gave him unofficial power—and when he spoke, it still felt like the Lakers were talking.

Kawhi’s camp didn’t make that distinction.

Kawhi Leonard: The Silent Assassin

Kawhi never addressed the situation directly. That’s his style. He lets his game do the talking.

But if you piece together the breadcrumbs—his preference for privacy, the timing of the Clippers announcement, the complete silence during the Lakers courtship—it becomes crystal clear.

Kawhi Leonard had no interest in being part of the Lakers’ circus.

The man who dropped 732 playoff points with robotic precision in 2019 wasn’t going to risk his prime years on a team that couldn’t even control its own headlines.

He didn’t chase Hollywood. He built his own empire across the hallway.

How Close Were the Lakers Really?

Closer than anyone thought. Reports confirmed that Kawhi:

Met with Lakers brass privately

Requested specific conditions around privacy and control

Delayed his final decision to see how teams behaved under pressure

LeBron even reportedly gave the green light to hand Kawhi the keys, offering to play off-ball and let Kawhi lead. It was that serious.

But then Magic spoke. Leaks happened. Front office confusion followed. And that was all Kawhi needed to see.

Rewriting the League’s Power Map

Had Kawhi Leonard joined the Lakers in the summer of 2019, the NBA would have witnessed a seismic shift unlike anything since the Miami Heat Big Three era. The combination of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi—three two-way superstars in their physical primes—would’ve unleashed a basketball dynasty with unmatched defensive dominance, elite playoff experience, and an offensive ceiling that could’ve broken records. Forget duos—the Lakers were inches away from crafting the ultimate trio, a lineup so stacked it would’ve warped competitive balance across the entire league.

Instead, everything unraveled in silence.

Kawhi’s quiet exit from the Lakers conversation rerouted the entire structure of modern basketball. Rather than ushering in another age of top-heavy superteams, his decision allowed the league to maintain a fragile sense of parity.

The Lakers, despite losing Kawhi, rallied to win the 2020 NBA title inside the Orlando bubble. But the cracks were already visible. Injuries, chemistry issues, and front office disarray prevented the franchise from sustaining long-term dominance. What could have been a three-peat team barely held together for one solid playoff run.

The Clippers, now armed with both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, immediately became a juggernaut in the West—at least on paper. But despite strong regular-season performances and flashes of brilliance, injury setbacks and internal tension kept them from reaching the ultimate stage. Kawhi’s torn ACL in 2021 derailed what could’ve been a Finals run, while George’s inconsistency under pressure raised more questions than answers.

Yet in many ways, Kawhi’s move was bigger than wins and losses.

It was a turning point in NBA player empowerment. By choosing the less glamorous team, staying in his hometown, and orchestrating the Paul George trade behind closed doors, Kawhi demonstrated that elite players no longer had to join existing legacies—they could build their own. He rejected the idea of being LeBron’s co-star, instead asserting his independence in a league obsessed with narratives of hierarchy.

Kawhi Leonard’s choice rewrote how stars make decisions. It wasn’t about market size, legacy brands, or media attention. It was about control, privacy, and trust—three things he felt the Lakers organization had lost.

In doing so, he changed how front offices approach negotiations. He shifted how players think about their reputations. And perhaps most painfully of all, he shattered the dreams of millions of fans who believed the NBA was on the cusp of witnessing the most cold-blooded, unselfish, and tactically devastating trio in basketball history.

Final Thought: One Leak, One Loss, One Legacy Shift

Four years later, the pain still lingers. Lakers fans still ask:

“What if Magic kept his mouth shut?”

And the answer is simple: Kawhi Leonard would be wearing purple and gold, not silently plotting in Clippers blue.

It’s a cautionary tale for every front office, every executive, every superstar chasing a legacy.

Because in today’s NBA, trust is currency—and once it’s spent, there’s no getting it back.