Following their failed free agency pursuit of Kawhi Leonard, the Lakers and Raptors apparently have hard feelings towards the LA Clippers’ forward.
The LA Clippers won the free agency sweepstakes this summer, securing Kawhi Leonard who was the highest touted free agent on the market. His other pursuers, the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors, reportedly still have hard feelings over the way things went down.
The Raptors front office always felt that they were at a disadvantage and that Kawhi’s demands to stay were unachievable. The team was reportedly asked to trade for Paul George, which would have involved giving up Pascal Siakam. Toronto wouldn’t do it and the Clippers moved a trove of assets to make the deal happen, securing Kawhi in the process.
Speaking of Siakam, he seems to have been reasonable about his name being brought up in trade talks, stating “Sh** happens.”
It’s understandable that the Raptors were hesitant to give up the Most Improved Player winner and that they felt Kawhi asked too much. We can all get behind that, logic, right?
What we can’t get behind is the Lakers paranoia.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Lakers feel like they got played.
"I’ve heard complaints in the days after the signing. I heard complaints from the Lakers that they got played. I heard complaints from the Raptors that Kawhi came in and asked for the sun, the moon, the stars then left them at the altar."
Sounds like the wound is still a little fresh. The Lakers entered free agency with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma on the roster and that was essentially it. With the money to sign Leonard, the Lakers waited to make any moves.
As Kawhi’s decision dragged on and on and the free agency pool started to dry, the Lakers still held strong that Leonard would come and other players will follow.
That didn’t happen. Leonard chose the Clippers and the Lakers were forced to sign players like Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins and JaVale McGee. Yes, Cousins could be solid for them and the addition of Danny Green to a roster that lacked shooting makes sense, but the players brought in weren’t of the same caliber that Los Angeles could have gotten had they decided to spend money immediately.
There’s “rumors” circulating around Lakers’ related parts of the web that Leonard waited so long to decide because he wanted to ruin the Lakers chances of getting him. While there’s no way to really disprove that, it seems more likely that the delay was Kawhi waiting for the Clippers to add a superstar to play alongside him. This happened and Kawhi quickly signed on the dotted line.
The Staples Center rivalry will have new life thanks to both teams having superstar duos, but this saltiness by the Lakers may just add to the rivalry a little more.