The Los Angeles Lakers could sign Kawhi Leonard as a free agent in 2019, but here are four reasons they should trade for him now.
It isn’t every day when an NBA team, even a storied one like the Los Angeles Lakers, has an opportunity to acquire a player like Kawhi Leonard. The purple and gold have been starving for a true superstar for several years now, and it is starting to look like the Lakers have put themselves in position to snatch one up in the near future.
Thanks to a restructured front office led by the likes of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka, strong draft picks over the last few years and good old-fashioned patience, the Lakers may finally have a way to get out of the wilderness after five straight years of missing the playoffs.
It’s no secret that Kawhi Leonard is at odds with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and the rest of the organization. The details are murky, but it appears that at least some of the beef has to do with a discrepancy between how Leonard has been seeking medical advice for his leg injury, and how the Spurs front office has wanted him to do so.
Now, rumors are circulating that Leonard’s camp is pushing for him to be traded to a big market team. One of those big market teams being mentioned is the Lakers.
The fact that Leonard can opt out of his current contract and become a free agent in 2019 makes this more complicated. The Lakers were in a similar situation a year ago when Paul George was available, and they watched him get traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for what, at the time, seemed like peanuts.
This time, if Kawhi Leonard is indeed available via trade, the Lakers must pursue him. Here are a few reasons why.