The Warriors had to deal with the wrath of Kawhi Leonard a mere few weeks ago when he lead the Raptors to a championship over Golden State in the NBA Finals.
As free agency approaches, the Warriors could go up against Leonard for years to come, in their own division. And the two-time Finals MVP could be joined by a fellow star.
The Athletic's Sam Amick reported Thursday morning that there's a serious scenario where Leonard and Jimmy Butler could join forces on the Clippers this summer.
"There are strong indications that Leonard is interested in having Butler as a running mate, and it's the sort of powerful pairing that would certainly vault the Clippers into contention," Amick wrote.
A pairing of these two would certainly spell trouble for the Warriors. The Clippers took the Dubs to six games in the first round of the playoffs without any real this season. Adding this kind of power to a deep roster could be frightenting.
Leonard and Butler combined to score 45.3 points per game last season. They're also both defensive stoppers who have made a combined nine All-Defensive teams.
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With Kevin Durant (ruptured Achilles) and Klay Thompson (torn ACL) out for most -- if not all -- of next season, teams are pouncing at their chance for a championship next season. The Clippers have two slots for a max-contract player this summer, and adding Leonard and Butler could be the perfect pairing to be the new best of the West.
The Warriors, though, better hope these two keep their talents in the Eastern Conference.
