Recent Lakers rumors are that their chances of signing Kawhi Leonard might be decreasing.
As we get closer to the summer months, there will be plenty of Lakers rumors surrounding who they will be trying to sign. Even though the Lakers didn’t make the playoffs this season, they are still in a great position with LeBron James, the young core, and a lot of cap space.
The Lakers were able to make their big splash in free agency last season by signing James, and they will be hoping to make another big splash this summer. There are certainly a lot of great players that will potentially be free agents, and the Lakers should be in the mix for them.
One of the players that the Lakers will be targeting is Kawhi Leonard. Over the summer, the Lakers made a push to try and trade for Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs. Despite having some good assets to offer to the Spurs, San Antonio never seemed willing to deal him to Los Angeles.
Instead, Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors, and he and the team are playing well. Recently, Josh Lewenberg of TSN reported that the Raptors are becoming confident that they will be able to keep Leonard. Here’s what he had to say.
"Behind the scenes, many Toronto Raptors officials have become increasingly confident in the team’s chances of re-signing Kawhi Leonard this summer, sources tell TSN."
As one of the best players that could potentially be available this summer, the Lakers are certainly going to be interested in Leonard. However, if the Raptors are having success and he likes it there, Leonard could certainly re-sign.
Like we saw last season with Paul George, he decided to sign with the team that traded for him. Both players reportedly wanted to come to Los Angeles, but George found himself happy in Oklahoma City and never tested the waters of free agency.
A lot can happen between now and the summer, but Leonard staying in Toronto would be one less player that the Lakers can pursue. Since the Raptors give Leonard a chance to win and be the face of their franchise, he might prefer to stay there.