Kawhi Leonard’s lengthy free agency (by 2019 standards) may be part of the All-Star’s plan to test the Lakers, Clippers and Raptors. ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne reported at the start of free agency that the teams pursuing Leonard were quiet, and it could be a trust exercise outlined by Leonard. Shelbourne noted that Leonard did something similar when he was meeting with the Spurs to see if they would leak things to the press.
It has been well-documented that Leonard prefers to stay out of the spotlight despite being one of the best players in the NBA. It makes sense that the superstar would also want a quiet free agency process as he makes his decision. The New York Times’ Marc Stein reported that Leonard’s representatives have requested “total silence” from the Lakers and Clippers.
“Officials from both the Lakers and Clippers appear to determined to say as little as possible — less than ever for a free agent of this prominence as @ryenarussillo likes to say — to avoid upsetting Kawhi’s camp when they have insisted on total silence,” Stein tweeted.
The Most Information Regarding Kawhi Leonard Is Coming From the Lakers
We’ve never really known—and still don’t know—who Kawhi is or what his thought process is. #BSPodcast
This could be bad news for the Lakers who have been the team most widely associated with Leonard. From Leonard’s conversations with Magic Johnson to LeBron James’ pitch, there has been a good amount of information surrounding Leonard’s talks with the Lakers.
The Lakers are also one of the biggest sports franchises in the world with a large number of media covering the team. It makes sense that there would be more information about the Lakers than the other two teams. There is also no guarantee that the info is flowing from the Lakers directly. If Clippers or Raptors fans are looking for signs of life, they could point to the number of reports connecting Leonard to the Lakers.
Silence Favors the Clippers & Raptors
Waiting for Kawhi’s decision like…
There have been little details provided about the Clippers or Raptors conversations with Leonard. This could be by design as both teams try to earn the favor of Leonard. Multiple reports noted Leonard met with the Clippers on Monday night. Doc Rivers was expected to play a central role in how the meeting went. Aside from that, things surrounding the Clippers have been quiet.
Little is known about the Raptors attempts to retain Leonard. NBA writer Chris Walder suggested this was a good sign for the Raptors.
“Reminder: The Toronto Raptors don’t leak, and the Lakers are seemingly spreading everything to get their name out there in the Kawhi sweepstakes. Being the loudest means little. It’s all about closing, and we won’t know which team does until someone with credibility says so,” Walder tweeted.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Raptors are expected to get the last meeting with Leonard. We will see if silence is indeed golden for both the Raptors and Clippers.
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Kawhi Leonard Testing Trust of Lakers, Clippers & Raptors