Kawhi Leonard may not make a commitment in free agency until late this week, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on the station’s Get Up program (Twitter link).
While the commitments of other top free agents Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler were made public before free agency officially began on Sunday night, Leonard will mull his options a little longer. The two Los Angeles teams and the Raptors are the contenders for his services.
“I’m told he is going to continue to take his time. … the teams who are involved are expecting that this could go even late into the week,” Wojnarowski said.
Leonard deliberation has already impacted the Lakers, who are looking to make a championship run next season. They’re interested in some lower-level free agents but have to await Leonard’s decision. Wojnarowski cited Seth Curry, who agreed to a contract with the Mavericks, as a player the Lakers were interested in signing.
“They’re going to keep losing guys off the board,” Wojnarowski said.
Leonard has spoken to Magic Johnson several times about the Lakers, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner, and there has also been a conversation with GM Rob Pelinka. Johnson can’t officially meet with Leonard on behalf of the organization after resigning his post as president of basketball operations but he’s free to speak in an unofficial capacity.
Turner told Spectrum Sportsnet that Leonard asked Johnson if the Lakers had make an attempt to trade for him prior to the Spurs’ deal with the Raptors (hat tip to SilverScreenAndRoll.com)
“There was one interesting question (Leonard) had for Magic: ‘Did you guys try to trade for me when I was in San Antonio?’ And the answer was ‘yes, but because it was Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, and our history, they were asking for 2,000 draft picks — well, not 2,000 — like four draft picks, first-round draft picks, and we just couldn’t do that.’ And that was one of his questions.”
Johnson told Leonard and his uncle, who participated in the conversations, that the disharmony within the front office is a thing of the past. Johnson also emphasized the storied history of the franchise, according to Turner.
“It’s about all those great players. You can be another one, you can join LeBron James and you can win more titles, and you don’t have to put as much stress on your body to do that. We have two stars to work with you,’” Johnson said.
Leonard also asked if he might be allowed to bring in his own trainer.
Give me a break. That’s really unfair to the two teams he’s not going to choose. Let them know so they can move on to plan b and c.
Unfair? What does Kawhi owe anybody about his decision??? He won Toronto a title and he has no ties to the Lakers or Clips as of yet.. he doesn’t owe anyone anything and needs to pick the best decision for him and his family.
No, JonnyLucas, YOU give US a break.
Settle down, peanut.
I will when you give us a break from your terrible taeks :)
Well finally we know it’s not the Clippers.
How do we know that?
Chris Broussard on Fox Sports and since deleted. I saw it earlier…. no joke.
link to google.com
Found this. Hope it helps.
Oh boo hoo, it’s really unfair. Life is unfair. Clippers and Lakers chose this path. Both could have traded for Kawhi last season and ensured his future there, but they didn’t, they just assumed he would sign in LA as a free agent. Like Paul George. Like DeMar. Like Russell Westbrook. The list goes on and on. The Raptors did trade for Kawhi, and are now world champions. The current position the 2 LA franchises are in are no fault but their own. Kawhi is entitled to take his time, he’s earned this right as a FA.
Good grief, you have really strong feelings about this! Fine! You win.
Cool
Team Canada much?
Unfair? Because kawhi was the only person in the nba to actually follow the free agency rules?
At this point, I’m not sure a few days matters. Very few $$ left in the market, beyond the Lakers and Clips, so the remaining guys will root for the Raps to win KL back so they can get a piece of that KL reserved $$.
Woj said this about KD too…
Kawhi going back to the Raptors
Nope. The Lakers.
L Lebron
A Anthony
K Kahwi
E everyone else on roster
R Rondo
S Kuuuz
Keep dreaming. You’re pushing this Kawhi to Lakers like it’s a done deal. Delusional LA fanboy
Warriors fan. Just call em as I see em.
D-Lo to Wolves
??? to Raptors
Kahwi to GSW
NBA twitter explodes
This isn’t how trades work.
You can get those decent role players through trades as teams try to save money if you have to. But Lenord isn’t going to the Clips to play with a bunch of role players it’s either Lake Show or Raptors no in between,
D Lo to Wolves
Wiggins to Raptors
Leonard to GSW .
Now that is a Blockbuster !
D Lo to Wolves
Wiggins to Raptors
Leonard to GSW
This would be a NBA Blockbuster !!
Clippers can wait as long as needed. The have a solid team and are not mossing out on anyone.
If Clips cant get Kawhi, save the money.
Its the Lakers who desperately need him to hurry. If they dont get Kawhi, they will struggle to make the playoffs in the west, with workload management, injuries and no bench or shooters.
How is fantasy land? Clips without Kawhi are the exact same team as last year. AD makes the Lakers monumentally better. All of a sudden it isn’t a star driven leauge now that the Lakers are getting stars. Classic
How many players do the Lakers have on the roster. The longer the Kawhi situation takes, the more cheap vets sign elsewhere. That was the while point of this post, which obviously went right over your head. LeBron, Davis and kuzma can’t play 3 on 5 for 48 minutes a night…
Imagine thinking a lineup of Bron, Kuzma, AD, Kawhi needs help. They can have G leauge players and min vets on the rest of the roster and be fine. Lakers derangement is about to reach an all time high
LeBron might have a history of playing a lot of minutes, but Kawhi does not and AD’s injury history is extensive. The West may be weaker but you need some depth behind those guys so they aren’t cooked before the playoffs even start.
That’s why there are so few contenders in the league. Championship teams are built in the front office, generally speaking. The Lakers are kinda screwed if Kawhi doesn’t choose them. LAC will still be a young, up an coming team. TOR should be ok in a top heavy Eastern Conference. Laker fans get angry when you tell them this, because they are obnoxious Laker fans. They like to buy all their players, cause they can’t build a team.
We all know what happens when northern kings go south…
Clippers.
…. are out.
Source?
Woj
Sorry not Woj. I’ve been Woj-ed out the last 2 days. Chris Broussard on Fox Sports but since deleted. I saw it earlier don’t know what happened.
His dreams
So the Lakers could end up with the top 2 players in the league. Plus they have LeBron.
LeBron Davis and Leonard are behind d urant.
Durant isn’t playing and he won’t be the same.
Well I know someone who didn’t understand the post.
The disharmony from 2 weeks ago with the same front office team that works there now is TOTALLY in the past.
I think the lakers already missed out on best options without KL. Now stuck with min contracts and room exception only. Probably can line all those up now cause either way it’s about all that is left. Except Cousins and I don’t see him as great fit.
Lakers are in. Don’t worry. He’s not staying in Toronto it’s cold up there.
You keep posting this tripe like you’re trying to convince yourself…
He doesn’t have to convince you. Clips are obviously out of it, he wanted to team up with a star there, y’all ain’t got no stars in town besides LeBron and AD and they play for the other team
Disharmony in the front office is gone? Sure. Maybe the Q should have been “Hey Magic, why you leave?”
Kawhi should avoid Lakers at all costs. I know it’s tempting because that’s his childhood dream and all but going to the Lakers would be weaker than Durant going to GSW. He should sign a two year deal with the Raptors or join Butler in Miami via Sign and trade. I’m thinking Winslow, Bam and Dragic and two future 1sts for Kawhi, if he wants Miami.
Lakers 37 wins…Warriors 73…yep that would be a even bigger sellout move.
The previous year is sort of irrelevent. Nba rosters have so much turn over every year that the argument is void. Durant didn’t join a 73 win team, he joined 4 players from a 73 win team. Keep on with your butthurt narrative though, it is amusing to those of us with functioning brains.
Cute how the Warriors fan is going into full defensive mode. Just relax you got your 3 titles. Lakers turn now.
Lakers are in. Don’t worry. He’s not staying in Toronto it’s cold up there.
Don’t worry, he will will be a clipper.
Source?
With their depleted roster, the Lakers should pass on Leonard and use their money for multiple mid range players from a list including names like Danny Green, Dragan Bender, Seth Curry, TJ McConnell, Marcus Morris, Stanley Johnson and Tyus Jones. Add 3-4 from the above to this the rookies they’ve signed plus AD, LBJ and Kuzma and you might have a competitive roster
nah they will just sign KL and take that chip
Stop following basketball if you think signing those guys would be better than Kawhi.
First, I will follow basketball as long as I want to and secondly, your “logic” is exactly what is wrong with today’s game – all about individual superstars taking turns playing one-on-one while four others stand and watch. Basketball in its purest form is a TEAM game with 5 players working together – the Warriors are able to do this because they have balanced their roster with a good mix of players. My thought is that a line-up of Davis, James, Kuzma, and say Danny Green and Tyus Jones or TJ McConnell and a balanced bench would be very competitive in the West.
And Kawhi on the roster is a guarenteed championship. The Lakers are already going to be competitive in the west Kawhi or not. These players left aren’t even close to Kawhis skill level. Thinking so is just wrong
Leonard’s follow up question: “But 4 draft picks were enough fo AD though, right?”
From reports, he wants to be “the man” and he definitely won’t with the Lakers—he will be the 3rd wheel just like he was with the Spurs
Also, when he supposedly asked “did you try and trade for me” and was told that the price of 4 firsts and players was to high, what do you think they said when he asked “but it wasn’t to high for AD?”
The ONLY reason he would choose Lakers over Clippers is the storied history of the organization. Compared to the present day Lakers, Clippers have a great coach, great ownership and management and better overall roster. It’s no different from Irving and Durant choosing Nets over Knicks.
His decision will between Clippers and Raps
and hope he choose “We The North”
“storied history” unless he also considers today’s ownership
Cause AD is sooo much better than Kawhi, that is why you did it for AD & not for Kawhi… but it doesn’t really matter, Kawhi is a Laker!!!