Getty Kawhi Leonard will be one of the top NBA free agents on the market this summer.
The Los Angeles Lakers can’t recruit NBA free agents yet, as the first contact with players can be made on June 29 at 6 p.m. ET. But that doesn’t mean that a few high-profile fans of the Lakers haven’t started doing their own recruiting. One of the well-known names who already began the process is rapper/entrepreneur Snoop Dogg.
Earlier this week, Snoop Dogg joined Jimmy Kimmel Live and the two talked about a number of things, including the Lakers and their upcoming offseason. Kimmel asked the rapper in “his perfect world” who would play for the Lakers, and he quickly reeled off both Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis.
Kimmel agreed that would be a strong start and proceeded to ask if Snoop Dogg ever calls players and sells them on Los Angeles, which led to an honest answer.
“I’m not considered tampering because I’m not a part of the ownership, so I have definitely reached out to a lot of players that I wanted to see play on our team. I’m not one of the general managers so I don’t control that, but at the same time I try to influence by saying there are many business opportunities and there’s many things we can provide for you outside of basketball.” Snoop Dogg told Jimmy Kimmel.
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It’s interesting to hear that he’s been in touch with players, but obviously, with the Davis situation, there’s not much that can be done currently, as he’s under contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. The same can’t be said for Leonard, who just helped lead the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA championship, as he could wind up on the open market and test the free agency waters.
Lakers’ NBA Title Odds Point to Big Free Agency Expectations
Whether it’s through free agency or via trade, it appears the popular consensus is that the Lakers will add star power next to LeBron James. The chatter around a potential trade for Davis has been heating up as of late, and it’s beginning to seem more and more likely as the days go on.
Oddsmakers are buying into the hype around Los Angeles as well, considering NBA on ESPN revealed the latest odds to win the 2020 NBA title, and the Lakers are favored.
- Los Angeles Lakers: +400
- Milwaukee Bucks: +600
- Los Angeles Clippers: +600
- Toronto Raptors: +800
- Houston Rockets: +1000
- Golden State Warriors: +1000
- Philadelphia 76ers: +1200
- Boston Celtics: +1200
- Denver Nuggets: +1500
- Utah Jazz: +2000
Evaluating NBA title odds before the offseason gets underway is tough to do, but it’s interesting to see the Toronto Raptors listed behind the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s expected that Leonard could have interest in either L.A. team or may be very likely to remain with the Raptors.
The Golden State Warriors dropping to +1000 is noteworthy as well, although that may have to do with the question marks about their future. Even if they keep both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, both players will miss extended time next year, with KD possibly being forced to sit out for the entire year with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
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