1. Kawhi Leonard
Here we are, to the most recent and heartbreaking refusal. Kawhi Leonard, fresh off winning his second NBA title and Finals MVP, kept the Lakers hanging for a week before opting to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Multiple conversations with Magic Johnson and the Lakers organization left the ownership convinced that Leonard was heading toward signing with the purple and gold, forming a formidable big three with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Multiple reporters gave for sure his sign with the Lakers, and while the final meeting with the Toronto Raptors raised some concern, the Clippers were long considered not in the mix, unable to provide a competitive roster for Kawhi.
The LA Lakers would have built an unbeatable powerhouse, almost certain to win the championship. Instead, at the last hour, the Clippers managed to pull the trigger on a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder to land fellow Californian Paul George, who, according to reports, the Finals MVP heavily recruited to convince him join his cause to go back home and try to win a ring without forming a superteam.
George came at a big cost. In a massive trade, the Thunder received five first-round draft picks, the right to swap two more first-round picks, forward Danilo Gallinari and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but the Clippers built a powerful team, dangerous on the offensive as much as on the defensive end.
The Los Angeles Lakers are no joke either. Led by LeBron and AD, they are one of the favorite teams for the championship and it projects to be a battle for LA to decide who is going to win it all.
Only time will tell if Leonard and George made the right choice opting to team up in Clippers nation, or, much like their predecessors, they made a huge mistake passing on the 16-time NBA champions.