– Can attract stars
One of the main benefits of pursuing Kawhi Leonard is what might come after him. In the NBA, having multiple stars has become a necessity in order to be a true contender. With the Golden State Warriors coming off another title, dethroning them would take another Super Team.
This offseason, the Lakers have had the hope of landing both LeBron James and Paul George. Pairing those two with the young core that they have would certainly make the Lakers one of the top teams in the Western Conference, but beating Golden State would still be a challenge.
However, in order to help recruit players like George and LeBron, having a superstar like Leonard in place would certainly help. Instead of selling James and George on what the young core might be, having Leonard would give them instant credibility.
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While it would likely be a hefty price to acquire Leonard from the Spurs, the Lakers would have a valuable chip already in place to help sign James and or George. As arguably the best two-way player in the league, Leonard can play alongside any star in the NBA. If there is a hope of dethroning the Warriors soon, the Lakers would need some stars. By acquiring Leonard, they would have one in place before free agency.