More than $3 billion were spent when NBA free agency opened on Sunday night, but none of those dollars have been given to Kawhi Leonard, who is still weighing his options.
Notoriously private, little is known about where Leonard is leaning, though he has indicated in the past he would like to return to his native Los Angeles. The L.A. Lakers, the L.A. Clippers and the Toronto Raptors are believed to be in the running to land the reigning playoffs MVP.
With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving heading to Brooklyn and Jimmy Butler going to Miami, Leonard is the only major name remaining on the free agency board.
Asked about the Raptors’ chances of signing Leonard during his end-of-season news conference, team president Masai Ujiri said he was confident in Toronto’s chances. Not only did winning a championship help, but Ujiri pointed to the trust the Raptors built with Leonard throughout last season.
“Him seeing who we are and working with his medical staff, combined with our medical staff and getting him to where he wanted to be,” Ujiri said last week.
For Leonard, the Raptors are the known quantity in this free-agent frenzy – he knows the team, the coaching staff and the front office. But the Clippers and the Lakers can offer Leonard something Toronto never can: the opportunity to play at home.
According to reports, Leonard will meet with both L.A. teams early this week, with the Raptors being given the final pitch. Initially, the buzz surrounding Leonard was that he would head to the Clippers, where they have the cap space to sign two superstars. But in the past few days, the rumour mill has shifted to favour the Lakers as the team most likely to land Leonard, who would join LeBron James and Anthony Davis in purple and gold.
Officially, Leonard has until Saturday at noon to make a decision – that’s when the NBA’s free agency moratorium ends. But really, that’s just when he can sign a deal; an announcement could be made before or a deal could be announced after. Leonard is clearly in the driver’s seat, and will make a decision on his own time.
And basketball fans will continue to hold their collective breath until that decision is made.
