Shortly after news broke that Kawhi Leonard would miss the 2024 Paris Olympics, Team USA confirmed that Derrick White of the Boston Celtics will step in as his replacement for the tournament.
White, 30, recently celebrated an NBA championship as a key piece of Joe Mazzulla’s squad. In the Finals against Dallas, he averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 40% from beyond the arc.
As for Kawhi, both Team USA and the Clippers agreed that the two-time Finals MVP would rest this summer to be at full strength for the 2024–25 season.
It’s worth noting that, after Paul George’s departure, he will be the highest-paid player on the Los Angeles roster. He still has three seasons ahead on his contract, totaling $153 million.
Last season, he appeared in 68 official games (all as a starter) and put up 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per contest.
(Cover photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
