NBA Prediction: Will Kawhi Leonard Sign With Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers Or Toronto Raptors?

Kawhi Leonard is about to shift the balance of power for the 2019-2020 NBA season and possibly years to come. The league’s best free agent is expected to make a decision on his future at any moment, though no one knows for sure what that choice will be.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors are in the race to sign Leonard. The two-time Finals MVP has reportedly met with both L.A. teams and it’s believed he flew north of the border to meet with the defending champions Wednesday afternoon.

There have been very few leaks during Leonard’s free agency. There’s plenty of speculation regarding what Leonard’s motivations are, but all three destinations offer something that could attract him.

The Clippers were once considered the heavy favorites to sign Leonard because of the superstar’s affinity for Los Angeles. The Raptors seemingly jumped ahead when Leonard led Toronto to its first-ever championship. Ever since the Lakers cleared enough salary cap space to add a max free agent alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, there has been increased buzz that Leonard might want to join the NBA’s marquee franchise.

The Lakers believed they had a real chance to acquire Leonard even when the rest of the league considered them to be longshots in the Kawhi Leonard Sweepstakes. Now that a final decision is looming, they might actually be the best bet.

The answers to a few questions about Leonard’s free agency are a mystery: Does he want to be the alpha dog on his own team? Does he want to play with other superstars?

We do, however, know a few things that Leonard wants, even if it’s impossible to know how much weight each one might hold when it comes time to pick a team: Leonard wants to win championships. Leonard wants to stay healthy.

It’s also no secret that Leonard prefers to play in Los Angeles, where he grew up. Leonard went to college in Southern California and recently bought a home in the area for a reported $13.3 million. He reportedly asked the San Antonio Spurs to trade him to the Lakers last summer.

Toronto’s ability to help him stave off injuries and win a title could potentially overcome any desire that Leonard has to return to L.A.

Raptors’ Director of Sports Science Alex Mckechnie has received credit for helping Leonard return to a superstar level after a leg injury forced him to miss most of the previous season. Leonard sat 22 games in the regular season and became the poster boy for load management. When the playoffs arrived, he was ready to carry the Raptors and have one of the greatest individual postseason runs in NBA history.

If Leonard returns to the Raptors, they will be the favorites in the East, and perhaps the entire league, to win next year’s championship. Most of the team’s core is returning for the upcoming season. Danny Green appears likely to re-sign with Toronto if Leonard stays in Canada.

But what about beyond 2020? Other than Pascal Siakam, the Raptors’ core is an aging one. Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol are entering the final year of their respective contracts and will be past their prime when they sign new deals. Serge Ibaka’s contract is also up after next season.

Leonard has a good chance to get one more ring in Toronto. Winning any more titles beyond that could prove to be very difficult.

There’s no doubt that joining the Lakers gives Leonard the best chance to become a perennial winner. It doesn’t matter what the rest of the roster looks like; a trio of Leonard, Davis and James would lead the league’s best team for several seasons.

The Lakers would become the odds-on favorite to win the 2020 NBA Finals with Leonard in the fold, potentially taking the mantle from the Golden State Warriors as the league’s next dynasty.

It isn’t just the fact that James and Leonard are arguably the NBA’s two best players and Davis is undoubtedly in the top 10. Even with James in his mid-30s and potentially entering a different phase of his career soon, Davis and Leonard can make up the league’s most dynamic duo for the foreseeable future.

Davis is only 26 years old. Leonard won’t turn 29 years old until after next year’s finals. The Lakers would be set up for success in 2020, 2021, 2022 and beyond.

The Clippers overachieved last season, winning 48 games without a star. They didn’t improve this offseason or use their cap space in any meaningful way.

Leonard will go the Clippers if he wants his own team in Los Angeles. He’ll stay in Toronto if he wants to defend last year’s championship.

The Lakers give him the best shot to win future championships while living in Los Angeles, making them the most logical choice.

Prediction: Kawhi Leonard signs a four-year max contract with the Los Angeles Lakers