On the ‘Hoop Collective,’ Vincent Goodwill, a senior writer for ESPN, brought up the Los Angeles Lakers as the first team in mind to snag Kawhi Leonard in next summer’s free agent market. The LA Clippers will have left the door open for the purple and gold to make it possible, as 2027 has been openly mentioned as the year of the reset, suggesting Leonard will not be traded until then and can simply walk where he chooses once his contract is up.
This would be terrible news for the Clippers, as Leonard thriving in rival colors would be hurt to see. He has been in LA since 2019 and grew up there, so it is ideal for him to want to be home by any means necessary.
All in all, the timeline works out for the Lakers. They will need Lebron James' successor in uniform, and who better to pair with Luka Doncic than the two-time champion who has been dominating the NBA for quite some time.
The Los Angeles Lakers have every reason to try to get their hands on Kawhi Leonard
If you go back in time before one of the LA Clippers’ most prominent signings in franchise history, Kawhi Leonard was on the Los Angeles Lakers’ radar. They desperately wanted him to represent the iconic threads that have won 17 championships, but he chose otherwise.
Therefore, when the opportunity arises again in the 2027 offseason, the Lakers will inevitably pursue the veteran superstar. They will be able to easily arrange for the money to pay him, and on top of that, he has proven that playing at a top-ten level in his mid-30s is light work, given his averages this season of 27.9 points on exceptional splits.
Additionally, the Lakers will have a hole to fill in terms of a two-way force to give Luka Doncic company. LeBron James is currently 41 years old, and though he is still great at what he does, how many years does he realistically have left before he retires? The rest of this season, and maybe next?
That is perfect for Los Angeles. Leonard is experienced and competent enough carry the torch James once held.
That said, the Clippers are set to make it relatively easy for the Lakers to snatch Leonard. All they have to do is be patient and wait for Lawrence Frank to unfold a rebuild, and just like that, the franchise great could end up right across the street.