Recent Los Angeles Lakers rumors involve Kawhi Leonard, whom the team is confident will still join them in 2019.
Los Angeles Lakers rumors have been running rampant this offseason. With the signing of LeBron James, rumors are bound to follow. Los Angeles has a plan in place to acquire another star alongside James, but they want to keep their young core intact to remain competitive for years to come.
One of the players that the Lakers looked into acquiring was Kawhi Leonard. Leonard’s relationship with the San Antonio Spurs deteriorated throughout the 2017-18 season. He missed 73 games in the regular season and did not play in the playoffs because of a thigh injury.
There were differing reports about how healthy Leonard was. The Spurs thought he was ready, but Leonard’s own team said he was not ready. It made for an awkward situation which came to a head this week.
Leonard eventually got his wish. The Spurs traded him away, sending him to the Toronto Raptors. It was a big trade, as Toronto shipped their own All-Star, DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a future first-round pick. In addition to Leonard, the Raptors also received Danny Green.
It is a risky trade for the Raptors. They traded away their best player, their first-round pick from 2016 and future first rounder for a player that will be a free agent next summer. If Leonard bolts in free agency, Toronto is looking foolish after this trade.
Foolishness is something that they should be preparing for. According to Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report, the Lakers are confident they will be able to land Leonard in 2019 as a free agent. Just how confident was Los Angeles? They weren’t even interested in getting into a bidding war via trade for him.
Lakers weren't interested in acquiring him now. They're confident they'll get him for free next summer. https://t.co/LJEGEHh9tg
— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) July 18, 2018
This is surprising given all of the rumors that have popped up throughout the offseason involving the Lakers and Spurs. However, it does coincide with the thinking of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka of not wanting to part with young talent.
Right now, it would seem the trade of Leonard to the Raptors only improves the Lakers chances of signing him next offseason. While nothing is guaranteed, as we saw with Paul George this offseason, the Lakers have to like where they are at.
Thus far there haven’t been many positive reports coming from Leonard’s side. According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, Leonard has no interest in playing for Toronto. This coincides with a tweet from Bucher from his time at Summer League.
Bucher talked to a general manager that shared Leonard’s displeasure with Toronto.
First weekend of LV Summer League I asked a rival GM about Kawhi going and staying in Toronto. "No chance," he said. "He was in the All-Star Game there. Never left his room. He hates the cold."
— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) July 18, 2018
Leonard, theoretically, should be prepping for the cold. However, he won’t be in Toronto if he has his way. Deveney took it a step further, adding Leonard would sit out the whole season if necessary.
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That would be an extreme measure for Leonard. However, at this point, he has dug in so far, nothing would be a huge surprise. Leonard wants to play in Los Angeles and seems prepared to make that happen one way or another.