NBA Notebook: Will Kawhi Leonard return to the Clippers?

Between the NBA Finals and the upcoming NBA Draft, there is plenty to keep basketball fans busy these days. Let’s take a look at the top stories from around the Association in this week’s edition of our NBA Notebook.

The 2021 NBA Draft offers plenty of intrigue after the first selection

The Detroit Pistons were the big winners of the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery, snagging the first overall pick in this year’s draft. For a team that was bottom of the barrel in the Eastern Conference, it was a much-needed break of good fortune. As the draft nears, however, there is the predictable dialogue regarding a potential trade.

Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham is expected to go first no matter who selects him. With the Houston Rockets showing extreme interest in the young prospect, the intrigue around this year’s draft will be the selections at spots two through five.

Jalen Green is favored to go second overall at -150 odds, but Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs are both viable options as well. Mobley has the look of a classic NBA player, while Green already has professional experience having been the first overall prospect two years ago before joining the G League. All three of the top picks are likely to be impact players on their respective teams in a draft that offers plenty of intrigue and opportunity.

Team USA stumbles out of the gates

Many of the NBA’s best players are currently playing for their country in exhibition games gearing up for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. While the games are considered meaningless from a formalized event perspective, every game is one that delivers intrigue as it features several of the NBA’s best.

While this year’s roster has All-NBA quality players such as Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, and Draymond Green, it doesn’t feature the depth of many teams from years past. That was painfully evident as the U.S. lost two straight games to Nigeria and Australia.

Three members of the team are still playing in the NBA Finals (Jrue Holliday, Devin Booker, Khris Middleton), and hopefully their addition will help push the U.S. back over the top.

The Klaw goes under the knife

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard suffered an ACL injury in the playoffs that kept him from playing the final two games of L.A.'s second round series against the Utah Jazz and the entirety of the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns. On Tuesday he had surgery to repair the partial tear.

Leonard can opt-in for $36 million for this next season, but many expect he will become a free agent and try to secure a longer and more lucrative deal. Whether that's with the Clippers remains to be seen.

Bucks pull even with the Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals

The NBA Finals are now tied at two games apiece with Game 4 in Milwaukee delivering the best game yet. While none of the first three games featured a game that ended within single digits, Game 4 was a back-and-forth affair that featured exceptional moments from both teams.

Devin Booker bounced back for the Suns, and Khris Middleton continues to be the stealthy All-Star. His 10-0 run in the final minute decided the outcome. The Bucks also clearly need Giannis Antetokounmpo to play his best ball to keep up with the more well-rounded Suns.

This series has taken a completely different turn now that we're four games in, and it would not surprise anyone to see it go seven games. We don’t have the teams we expected when the season began, but this has been a fantastic series that only promises to get better.