The Los Angeles Lakers have already secured their second star to put alongside LeBron James in big man Anthony Davis. If many fans got for their way, the Lakers’ next acquisition would be star free agent Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard may very well end up playing in Los Angeles next season, but according to Adrian Wojnarowski who recently appeared on ESPN’s “Get Up,” the star forward is more focused on a potential future with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“The reality is, Kawhi Leonard is focused on Los Angeles, but it’s the Clippers not the Lakers,” he said. “Number one, [the Lakers] don’t have the money to sign him, and two, the idea of him being a third wheel on a team trying to create a superteam. That has not been Kawhi’s M.O. The Clippers are poised to be able to lure him from Toronto.”
This is not entirely surprising news, despite recent reports that the Lakers intend to target Leonard this offseason.
Leonard is fresh off of defeating the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals and is widely considered to be amongst the best players in the league. It seems more likely that he would seek out a team where he would become the centerpiece of the franchise rather than having to compete for that focus with the likes of James and Davis.
With Leonard potentially off the table, the Lakers will have the option of either focusing their remaining cap space on signing one of the many remaining star free agents, or surrounding their two current stars with above-average talent.
Either way, it seems clear that the city of L.A. will be enjoying a lot of fantastic basketball in the 2019-20 season.
