Kawhi Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors earlier this summer — until he wasn't. The Los Angeles Clippers' blockbuster trade has been stuck in limbo as the NBA continues to investigate the alleged Aspiration scandal that was brought to their attention last offseason. From there, one can follow a steady stream of ripple effects all the way to the Los Angeles Lakers and Jonathan Kuminga.
Jovan Buha did his best to outline the landscape and hold-up that Leonard's situation has caused on the latest episode of The Lakers Collective. If Kawhi and the Clippers can finally find a resolution with the NBA, business can get going.
"Peyton Watson is ahead of Jonathan Kuminga in terms of the power forward, big wing hierarchy. So, there are teams like [the] Milwaukee [Bucks], like the Clippers, that would be interested in Jonathan Kuminga, but they would prefer Peyton Watson."
Buha continued, explaining how the Clippers are one of the few teams who can make an aggressive pitch at Watson and push forward the stalemate between him and the Denver Nuggets. The problem is their financial situation is unclear due to the Leonard saga.
For the Lakers reporter, there was a clear pecking order here that starts with Kawhi's situation getting wrapped up, gets followed by a Watson offer sheet or otherwise, then gets wrapped up with Kuminga landing on his next team. Maybe then Rob Pelinka and company will finally see an end to their pursuit.
Lakers need the Kawhi Leonard trade to go through as much as anyone else
Not many could have thought from the get-go of it happening that the alleged cap circumvention reported by Pablo Torre would still have this much impact on the NBA with almost a year having elapsed since the initial findings by the investigative journalist. The dark cloud still looms.
Financials have continously been cited as a core reason of why the Lakers and Kuminga have not moved forward on a deal that would bring him to Los Angeles. Perhaps the free agent forward and his agent are holding out with belief that one of these other teams can provide a better payday.
To Buha's point, that much will not be clear until Leonard either has a new home or is standing pat. As such, the Lakers could just be stuck waiting.
Perhaps all of this will encourage Pelinka's front office to consider their alternative options. If Leonard's situation continues to be tricky and drawn out, the Lakers may not have a choice in the matter but to search elsewhere.
Otherwise, if they are truly fixated on Kuminga, Los Angeles can only hope the Leonard investigation gets its conclusion this summer and Kawhi relocates to the Raptors. That could pave the way for the Lakers getting their guy, or just finding some type of finality to all of this.
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