Kawhi Leonard will sit down with FIVE teams in free agency, Knicks and Lakers among them
KAWHI LEONARD has already decided the teams he will have a sit-down interview in free agency, and the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers in strong contention.
Kawhi Leonard celebrates Toronto Raptors win
That’s according to Fox Sport’s Cris Carter, who has close ties to Leonard and his representatives.
The Toronto Raptors are still riding the wave of their 2019 NBA championship and probably will be heading into next season, with or without Leonard.
Still, they will be hoping they can convince the 27-year-old to re-sign with them in the summer, run it back and try to defend their title.
The Raptors have an edge over their rivals in the sense that they can offer Leonard about $15million more over the course of a five-year deal than any other team.
But in a summer in which several teams up and down the league have created enough cap space to be big players in free agency, there will be tough competition for a player of Leonard’s calibre.
And Carter reports Leonard has already decided on five franchises he wants to meet with when June 30 hits.
“As far as free agency goes, I would say, because of the moments they’ve had the past month and the chemistry that he’s developed with that team, you have to say Toronto are the favourite,” he said on First Things First.
“They can also pay him the most.
“Great experience for him there; the doctors that he had working with him, their collaboration with the doctors for the Raptors; the load management situation where he missed 22 games during the regular season.
“He played through all the pain in the playoffs, having one of the greatest playoff runs that we have ever seen.
“But Kawhi sent a message to everyone else.
“‘I don’t have interest in just joining a superteam, just give me some ball players and I believe that we can take on the NBA.’
“This didn’t change because he won, this is exactly what I was saying last year… but the Raptors should be the favourite.
“Then it’s going to go like this in no order: Both teams in New York - the Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets - they will both get a sit-down interview with Kawhi.
“Also the Los Angeles Lakers will be a part of the discussions. He will sit down with them, and the Clippers.
“So Clippers, Lakers, Knicks, Nets and the Raptors; they are the five teams that will be involved in the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes.”