Gallinari Blames Leonard for Career-Altering 2019 Trade

Former NBA forward Danilo Gallinari has publicly blamed superstar Kawhi Leonard for altering the course of his career, citing Leonard's role in the 2019 trade that sent Gallinari from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The comments, made on the Italian basketball podcast A Cresta Alta, come amid recent NBA penalties against Leonard and the Clippers for salary-cap violations. Gallinari stated that Leonard "changed the trajectory" of his career by pushing the Clippers to acquire Paul George in a blockbuster deal. "What happened to my NBA career wasn't decided by a general manager or an owner, but by a player who decided that team wasn't good enough and wanted something else," Gallinari said. He argued Leonard's punishment should have been far greater than the $700,000 fine he received from the league. "He should pay all 50 million, not just 700,000," Gallinari added. The 2019 trade sent Gallinari, guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, five first-round draft picks, and two pick swaps from the Clippers to the Thunder in exchange for George. The move was orchestrated to pair Leonard with another star after he left the Toronto Raptors.