Lakers Rumors: Latest Kawhi Leonard Trade Buzz, LeBron James Chatter and More
Kawhi Leonard appears to have played his last game with the San Antonio Spurs, and the Los Angeles Lakers are one of two teams that have the best chance of acquiring him in a trade.
Leonard has one year to go on his contract, but he has not expressed any interest in remaining with his current team. Rather than keeping him around for one more season and then losing him without getting anything in return, the Spurs are in a position to trade Leonard in the coming days and receive an attractive return for his services.
Marc Stein wrote in the New York Times that the Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers have been "pressing the Spurs" to trade Leonard.
One of the keys to either of those teams acquiring Leonard sooner rather than later is the start of free agency in the NBA. Free agents are able to make deals as early as July 1 with new teams—although they can't sign contracts until July 6—and if any team acquires Leonard prior to that, it may make it easier to make a deal with LeBron James.
James declined his $35.6 million player option with the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
The combination of Leonard and James on the same team could make that franchise an immediate contender for the NBA championship, and the common belief is that it takes multiple superstars to win a league title. The Golden State Warriors, with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, are the standard bearers for this scenario.
Leonard's situation is complicated by his overall health. He played in just nine games during the 2017-18 season as he was sidelined by a quadriceps injury.
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers were also mentioned as teams that are possible destinations for Leonard, but Stein reported that the Lakers are Leonard's preferred destination.
With James opting out of his current deal with Cleveland, the Houston Rockets could become a possible destination since that team finished with a better regular-season record than the Warriors, and they extended Golden State to seven games in the Western Conference Finals.
If neither the Lakers nor Sixers can acquire Leonard in the short term, James could view the Rockets as the best destination since they have James Harden, Chris Paul and Eric Gordon on the roster.
James could also sign a max contract with the Cavaliers for five years and $205 million, or he could sign a one-year deal with the Cavs that would allow him to become a free agent next summer.
Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder opted out of his contract and will also become a free agent July 1. While the Thunder remain a serious contender for his services, the Lakers are also in the picture, according to ESPN's NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
George has declined his $20.7 million option with the Thunder after averaging 21.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per night last season.
