Kawhi Leonard Rumors: Lakers, Clippers Remain Star's Focus, Won't Sign With East Coast Team

No one knows what’s going to happen with Kawhi Leonard. Each day, it seems like another team has the best chance of completing a trade with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers have all spent time as the favorites to land Leonard. It was the Toronto Raptors’ turn Thursday when, seemingly out of nowhere, one sportsbook gave them the best odds to acquire San Antonio’s best player.

The thing that hasn’t changed, however, is Leonard’s preference. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year reportedly still wants to be in Los Angeles, whether it’s with the Lakers or Clippers, as was reported four weeks ago when Leonard first made it known he wanted out of San Antonio.

“Nothing’s changed from Kawhi’s side from these standpoints: he still wants to go to Los Angeles and he’s still not interested in being rented out for one season. So that being Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto or any other team,” Chris Carter said Friday on FS1’s “First Things First” after speaking with Leonard’s camp.

Leonard can’t control where he’s dealt, but he can influence the kind of offers teams might make to the Spurs. He’s got the ability to become a free agent next summer, making teams outside of L.A. wary of offering a lucrative trade package for a player that might leave after one season.

Paul George’s decision to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder could encourage a team like Philadelphia or Toronto to take the risk and trade for Leonard. Oklahoma City acquired George from the Indiana Pacers a year ago, even though the All-Star made it known he wanted to join the Lakers in 2018 free agency. George signed a new deal with the Thunder after the team didn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs.

Maybe the Lakers will learn from their mistake of not trading for George a year ago. They’ve got valuable pieces that San Antonio would take in return, though Los Angeles seems unwilling to give up budding star Brandon Ingram. The Clippers can’t put together the same kind of trade package as the Lakers, though there are rumors Leonard would rather be the star on Los Angeles’ No.2 team over joining forces with LeBron James.

“The thing that we should know is San Antonio has been in contact with Kawhi and his people, and they’ve told them that if something was to get real, real close, we’ll reach out to you,” Carter said, noting that the Spurs haven’t come close to making a trade.

Leonard could start the season with the Spurs and be dealt before the trade deadline. That might make for an awkward situation since he’s made it clear he no longer wants to be with the team.

Maybe the Spurs believe they can change Leonard’s mind about wanting to leave San Antonio, just as potential trade partners would hope to keep him from bolting for Los Angeles in 2019. San Antonio can still offer Leonard the $219 million supermax contract, which no other team would be able to do.