Kawhi Leonard To LA? Clippers 'In Position' To Land Raptors Star: Report

Although they have been out of the headlines, the Los Angeles Clippers have a good chance of landing Kawhi Leonard next summer.

Leonard made his intentions of leaving the San Antonio Spurs earlier this summer very clear as it was believed he wanted to play in his native Los Angeles.

It was the Lakers rather than the Clippers, however, who seemed to be the favorites at the time, especially as they were looking to bring in another high-profile star along with LeBron James.

In the end, it never came to fruition as the Spurs demanded too much in a trade for the 27-year-old who had a year left on his deal. Leonard would eventually get traded to the Toronto Raptors, with the Lakers expected to go after him again in 2019 when he can become an unrestricted free agent.

However, it is the Clippers who have "a better than not chance of getting him," according to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

“What the Clippers are doing right now is very below the radar. What they’ve done to put themselves in position," Wojnarowski said on his podcast with Zach Lowe. "They didn’t gut themselves and they’re not tanking. They’re putting a competitive team on the floor. I think, right now, with Kawhi Leonard, they have a better than not chance of getting him. We know things will change. He could love Toronto…"

“The Clippers are in great position with him. They have two max slots. They will be heard from again, I think, in these Jimmy Butler trade talks," he added.

It's not the first time Leonard has been linked with the Clippers. In fact, before his trade to Toronto, it was reported he no longer wanted to play with James, as has been reported recently as well, and that his preference was the Clippers.

And if the Clippers were able to land him as well as the disgruntled Jimmy Butler, who initially had a preference to move there, they will certainly be playoff contenders again.

But as Wojnarowski added, there's always a chance Leonard could fall in love with Toronto. That was the case for Paul George who was expected to join the Lakers this summer in free agency, only to have a change of heart and re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Raptors are also confident they can convince the 2014 NBA Finals MVP to stay on beyond next summer, though Leonard stated last month on media day his focus was simply on the present.

"I want to play here [in Toronto]," Leonard said. "As long as I have on a jersey, I want to play basketball. I I came here with an open mind. I want to do great things, make sure I put all my effort on the court and by winning games, that's how you get [high] caliber players to want to come here and play ... My focus is on this year. If you're looking toward the future, you're going to trip over the present."

Leonard enjoyed a successful debut with the Raptors on Wednesday as his 24 points and 13 rebounds contributed to a 116-104 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their season opener.