What Kawhi Leonard Signing Would Do For Lakers, Raptors, Clippers NBA Championship Odds In 2019-2020

The NBA has come to a standstill, waiting to see where Kawhi Leonard will end up. The free agent can either create a dominant super-team or ensure that a large portion of the league is a legitimate title contender.

The Los Angeles Lakers are favored to win the 2020 NBA Finals, and that won’t change as long as LeBron James and Anthony Davis are on the roster. Add Leonard to the mix and L.A. will be viewed like the Golden State Warriors were when they had Kevin Durant: virtually unbeatable, a championship run seemingly inevitable.

The Lakers would become odds-on favorites to win the title with Leonard at Caesars Sportsbook, according to ESPN, with -200 odds. That’s just about where the Warriors were to start last season, coming off two straight championships.

The Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors are also in the race to sign Leonard. Inking Leonard to a contract would put either team just behind the Lakers in terms of championship favorites with +500 odds.

As the Kawhi Leonard Sweepstakes continues, the Milwaukee Bucks are second in the NBA with +500 odds.

We already know what a Raptors’ team with Leonard would look like. Toronto finished second in the NBA with 58 wins before winning its first-ever title this past season.

The Clippers don’t have another superstar on the roster, but neither do the Raptors. Los Angeles’ second team won 48 games last year and took two games from Golden State in the first round of the playoffs. Leonard could take the Clippers to a new level and make them a real contender in a wide-open Western Conference.

The Raptors are bringing back most of their championship roster. Leonard and Danny Green are both free agents, though Green is expected to return if Leonard re-signs.

By re-signing Patrick Beverley, the Clippers will bring back their best players from a season ago.

The Lakers’ roster is largely incomplete after the Anthony Davis trade. Davis, James, Kyle Kuzma, Jared Dudley and Troy Daniels are the only players under contract. It might not matter much what the rest of the team looks like if Leonard enters the fold.

The Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets are among the other title contenders.