Recent Lakers rumors have been about what their chances are to land Kawhi Leonard next offseason.
Even though the 2018-19 season hasn’t started yet, recent Lakers rumors are already about what might happen next offseason.
This summer, the Lakers were able to land their superstar in LeBron James. However, they didn’t add the second All-Star that they would have liked, as Paul George decided to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Since the Lakers didn’t add another All-Star after James, they decided to preserve their cap space for next offseason by signing veterans to one-year deals. These deals keep the possibility of the Lakers being able to sign All-Stars open, as they won’t have to make any wild moves to free up cap space.
Recently, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN talked about where Leonard might be going next offseason. Here’s what he had to say with text via Matthew Moreno of LakersNation.com.
"“I think L.A. for him, Lakers or Clippers both have a real chance at him. I think both are going to be able to make different cases.”"
So far, all indications are that Leonard wants to play in Los Angeles. With two teams in L.A., each will present Leonard with a different sales pitch. For the Lakers, signing Leonard to play with James and the young core would make them a true title contender right off the bat.
For the Clippers, they are in a bit of a rebuild, but have a lot of assets and cap space. With Jerry West there, he surely has a plan for turning the Clippers around.
As of now, the Lakers are certainly a better option for Leonard on the court. Playing with James would give Leonard a great opportunity to win another ring, as they would be one of the best duos in the NBA. Also, the young core could provide Leonard with a chance for sustained success in Los Angeles, as the Lakers aren’t just built for the next few years with James.
It will be very interesting to see what happens with Leonard in the next year. As of now, he is part of one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and we could see him falling in love with the city of Toronto. Nothing is certain, but it looks like L.A. is the likely destination for Leonard.