Kawhi Leonard Rumors: Knicks Canceled Meeting with Star FA over Logistics

The New York Knicks reportedly opted not to meet with star free agent Kawhi Leonard due to their fear of missing out on other free agents. 

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, New York backed out of the Leonard sweepstakes because the two-time Finals MVP was holding off on a potential meeting until Wednesday, which marked the fourth day of free agency.

Per Berman, the Knicks understood they were unlikely to land Leonard amid interest from the Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. They did not want to risk losing other targets by waiting for him.

New York entered the offseason with about $70 million in cap space, giving it enough room for two max contracts. The franchise appeared to be among the top landing spots for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. While those two stars took their talents to the Big Apple, they signed with the Brooklyn Nets, not the Knicks.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Knicks were not prepared to offer Durant the max following his Achilles injury suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals.

Fresh off an unbelievable postseason that ended with a championship parade, Leonard has no such concerns surrounding him. Ultimately, though, New York felt its time would be better spent elsewhere.

Earlier this year, Knicks owner James Dolan went on the record and said he expected the team to have a "very successful offseason when it comes to free agents." But with no superstars making their way to Madison Square Garden this offseason, that prophecy did not hold true.

Instead, the Knicks have spread their money around while filling out the roster. They have reportedly agreed to sign Julius Randle, Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington, Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis and Elfrid Payton. Of those deals, only Randle would be guaranteed for a second season, as the rest are two-year deals with team options for the second campaign.

Per Berman, the Knicks only have $4 million in cap space and a $4.8 room exception remaining.

Signing Leonard would have gone a long way toward helping New York finally return to championship contention. But after assessing the landscape, the Knicks felt it would be in their best interest to focus on realistic targets rather than wait for their meeting with Leonard and attempt to pull off a shocking upset.