Kawhi Leonard Rumors: Lakers Think They Have "Strong Shot" to Sign Superstar

Kawhi Leonard is set to hit free agency next week and will be one of the most sought-after players on the market. There are tons of rumors circulating about his future destination. Here are all the latest rumblings surrounding Leonard.

Clippers set date for meeting with Kawhi

The Los Angeles Clippersand Leonard have “tentatively” set a date for their free agency meeting. The two sides will reportedly meet on July 2.

The Clippers have essentially planned their entire offseason — and their future — around landing Leonard this summer. It’s been their goal for a few years now. He grew up in Riverside, was born in Los Angeles and went to college at San Diego State. Southern California is home for him and the Clippers have that on their side when pitching him.

The Raptors have a great chance

Leonard has declined his player option with the Toronto Raptors for the 2019-20 season, meaning he will officially be a free agent next week. While Leonard is no longer under contract, the Raptors may have a great shot of re-signing him.

After leading Toronto to an NBA title and seeing the love he got from all of Canada, Leonard might be leaning towards staying north of the border. In fact, reports suggest the Raptors might be leading for his services right now.

Leonard could sign a five-year, $190 million deal with the Raptors, but he could also do a short-term deal — like a one-year contract with a player option for another year. Kawhi has built up a lot of trust with the organization and is definitely feeling the love from Toronto right now. That’s good news for the Raptors.

Lakers believe they’re in it

A rival executive told Ric Bucher the Los Angeles Lakers are operating as if they have “a strong shot” at landing Leonard. They think he’ll give them a long look after the Anthony Davis acquisition.

A “Big Three” of LeBron James, Leonard and Davis might be the most imposing trio in NBA history.

The Lakers will likely have somewhere between $23 million and $27 million in salary cap space. Obviously, Leonard would want a max deal that would require $32 million of cap space. But if they do that, they would have to fill out the rest of the roster with minimum contract veterans.