Getty Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors drives to the basket.
Even though Kawhi Leonard has yet to tip his hand as far as where he may wind up in free agency, Lakers fans are already looking ahead to the possibility of a big three involving Leonard, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.
Leonard is expected to take meetings with the Clippers and Raptors as well and betting odds still have the Raptors listed as the favorite to land his services. Coming off an NBA championship and Finals MVP in Toronto, Leonard has seemed to enjoy his time in the city along with bringing home the ultimate prize. If Leonard comes back, the Raptors should be expected to keep the band together and would immediately be favorites to come out of the East and contend for another title next season.
However, the Lakers look to try and spoil the Raptors plans and the recent report that Kawhi is “seriously considering” LA has undoubtedly put the rest of the NBA on notice.
Lakers Fans Prepare for Kawhi Leonard Free Agency Signing With Wild Mural
While the Lakers are extremely optimistic about their chances to land Leonard, it seems the Laker fans already assume that it is a done deal. With a mural of Kawhi in a Lakers jersey holding the Larry O’Brien trophy already going up in Venice, Laker fans can hardly contain their excitement for free agency.
It is a bold move to be sure, as if Kawhi goes elsewhere (say the crosstown rival Clippers) the mural instantly blows up in the faces of Lakernation and gives the rest of the NBA some much-needed ammunition after the Lakers’ blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis.
Other Notable Lakers Free Agency Targets
Aside from Kawhi Leonard and the top crop of free agents, the Lakers need to target players willing to play on the veteran minimum as they likely won’t have much cap space after (ideally) landing a max contract player. Among players the Lakers might look at are names like Kyle Korver (if he gets waived), Wayne Ellington, Derrick Rose, and Robin Lopez. While some of these players may try to command more than the veteran minimum, the Lakers also have the room exception at their disposal – good for roughly $4.7 million.
The Lakers should be able to piece together a quality supporting cast despite their lack of flexibility in this scenario – in large part due to the depth of this free agent class. With so many talented players and only a limited pool of money to go around, some players are bound to get left off the multi-year contract train and could be ripe for the picking on a one-year vet minimum.