During the 2019 offseason, Russell Westbrook placed a call with Kawhi Leonard expressing interest in playing with him for the Los Angeles Clippers. Westbrook's time with the Oklahoma City Thunder was coming to an end and he wanted to return to the Los Angeles area.

Leonard pondered the call, filed it away and then used it to reach out to Paul George on being the one to have a homecoming and joining him with the Clippers. George was content to stay with the Thunder and had formed a close bond with Westbrook. George was the player that was targeted by Leonard and the Clippers as they joined the franchise together that offseason. 

After being traded by the Thunder to the Houston Rockets a few days later in 2019, Westbrook was traded by the Rockets to the Washington Wizards in 2020. Westbrook was traded on draft day last week by the Wizards to the Lakers.