Rumors were still circulating on NBA Draft night, one of which had to do with Kawhi Leonard’s potential future with the LA Clippers.
June 20 was mostly about the NBA Draft, but that didn’t stop rumors from circulating about the league’s upcoming free agency period. Between draft picks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski provided an update about Kawhi Leonard, and how his potential future with the LA Clippers could be impacted by other teams.
Wojnarowski reported on Thursday night that while the Clippers and Toronto Raptors are still Leonard’s top two potential landing spots (in no order), the two-way star could also meet with the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers once free agency begins.
It’s not clear how serious Leonard is about potentially joining any of those teams this summer, but given the reports about how the Clippers and Raptors have been prioritized throughout the whole season, it doesn’t seem as likely that Leonard will end up in New York or Philadelphia.
That being said, it’s difficult to predict exactly what Leonard will do this summer. He’s been as quiet as they come in regards to his future, and even when pressed about it, he’s been largely noncommittal. All we really know is that he wants to win, and he likely wants to do so by leading his own team. Because of that, it doesn’t seem like the Los Angeles Lakers are necessarily a team in play — especially since it’s not been reported that he’ll take a meeting with them.
Leonard is fresh off his second championship season in the span of eight years, and he also won his second Finals MVP award in this latest series. During the course of the playoffs, he showed off his elite two-way ability, locking down some of the very best offensive players in the game like Giannis Antetokounmpo and averaging over 30 points per game from round one through the Finals.
Despite interest from other teams, it’s likely that Leonard is still the Clippers’ top target this summer. Wojnarowski also reported Thursday night that Kevin Durant could still be in LA’s plans, and that they would be a considerable destination for the former MVP. The Clippers will likely only be able to sign one or the other though, so they may need to decide soon which player to focus on.
Assuming Leonard does meet with the other teams on Wojnarowski’s list, he could be a risk to sign elsewhere this summer. Odds are, though, that his decision comes down to the LA Clippers or the Toronto Raptors.