Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Lakers Can Become NBA's Newest Villains, Replacing Golden State Warriors

LeBron James became the NBA’s biggest villain nine years ago when he spurned his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers on national television, announcing to the world that he would be “taking his talents to South Beach” to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat. After Miami’s Big 3 won two championships in four straight trips to the NBA Finals, it was Kevin Durant that drew the ire of the basketball world for joining the 73-win Golden State Warriors—who have won three of the last five titles—to create the league’s next powerhouse.

Golden State’s dynasty came to an end when they were defeated in last month’s finals and Durant fled to the Brooklyn Nets. The move was supposed to mark the conclusion of super-teams in the NBA, at least for the foreseeable future, with the top superstars spread throughout the league and about one-third of the teams having legitimate championship aspirations.

But there’s a chance the NBA’s newfound parity won’t even last a week.

Kawhi Leonard is the one superstar that remains unsigned, yet he is the free agent that wields more power than anyone. He’s considering signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers or Toronto Raptors. His decision could create a seismic shift in the NBA landscape for years to come.

If Leonard signs with the Raptors or Clippers, the race for the 2020 NBA Finals will seemingly be wide open. If Leonard joins LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers, L.A.’s marquee franchise will be clear favorites to win the title, anything less than a championship considered a sizeable upset.

There would be plenty of irony in Leonard creating another super-team. He won the 2014 NBA Finals MVP award, preventing a Heat three-peat in what was the last series that James, Wade and Bosh would play together. Leonard won his second finals MVP award a few weeks ago when the Warriors were seeking their third straight title.

Durant played just 12 minutes against Leonard and the Raptors because of injuries. The result was the first competitive finals in three years, perhaps providing a glimpse of things to come with the 10-time All-Star headed elsewhere.

The Warriors are going to be good next year, but they won’t be unbeatable. The Houston Rockets could finally get over the hump in 2020 after being stymied by Golden State in four of the last five years. The Denver Nuggets will be a threat, having earned the No.2 seed in the West this past season. The Utah Jazz should be a contender with the additions of Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic. The Clippers were once viewed as the favorites to land Leonard, a move that would give them a real shot to win their first-ever title.

None of those teams will have much of a chance against a roster that includes James, Davis and Leonard.

The same goes for whichever team comes out of the East. The Raptors won’t defend their title without Leonard. The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers would be heavy underdogs in a seven-game series against Leonard and the Lakers.

Leonard seized the title of “best player in the world” this past season by carrying the Raptors through the first three rounds of the playoffs and winning the 2019 NBA Finals MVP award. He’s an efficient scoring machine and arguably the best defender in the league.

James was considered the NBA’s top player for nearly a decade. He still averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game last season. Even his age-35 season, the four-time MVP will remain one of the league’s elite superstars.

Davis could be the third-best player on the Lakers. He’s only one season removed from performing like the third-best player in the entire league. Davis finished third in both the 2018 MVP and 2018 Defensive Player of the Year voting.

The Lakers still have Kyle Kuzma on the roster. Veterans will be lining up to play for Los Angeles in hopes of winning a ring. That should be more than enough for a historically talented trio to dominate the league next season and beyond.

NBA fans were waiting all year for Durant to leave Golden State and give their team a chance to compete for a championship. The Warriors’ reign is over, but Leonard and the Lakers might end up taking their place.