The impossible is now seen as pretty darn likely on the Kawhi Leonard front. A report indicated earlier on Tuesday that the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers have moved on from believing the can land Leonard in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. That same report suggested that the Toronto Raptors were favored to land the All-Star forward.
Now comes this piece of information from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noting that the Raptors have in fact already made a “compelling” trade offer to San Antonio for Leonard (h/t TSN).
We’re not entirely too sure what the offer might be, but it stands to reason that All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan is included. After that, youngsters such as OG Anunoby and/or Pascal Siakam as well as future draft picks would likely be involved.
The longer this whole situation drags out between Leonard and San Antonio, the less likely the Spurs are to get fair-market value for the All-Star. If other teams are bowing out of the race, that’s magnified even further.
If Toronto were to land Leonard in a trade centering around DeRozan, it would be a major risk for the organization. While DeRozan has three years remaining on his current contract, Leonard is slated to become a free agent following the 2018-19 campaign.