The Los Angeles Lakers have banked their entire offseason on luring Kawhi Leonard to play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Things are still up in the air as Leonard takes his time, but according to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Lakers “believe they are firmly in the lead” to land the prized free agent. He adds that the Lakers and Clippers both are “determined to say as little as possible” publicly due to fears that they could upset Leonard’s camp.
Leonard is in Los Angeles this week and has meetings set up with the Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and of course the Toronto Raptors. Previous reports indicated that the Clippers had a better shot than anyone to land the superstar, yet it’s all very fluid at this time.
Stein noted that the Lakers feel confident due to the interactions Leonard has had with James, who has been in contact with him for a while, and Magic Johnson, who has been in touch this past week.
Still, given how tight a lid Leonard and Co. have kept on his free agency, nobody should be surprised at any outcome — including Leonard re-signing with the Toronto Raptors.