It seems the Los Angeles Lakers were never as close to getting Kawhi Leonard as rumored. The Lakers had set up two separate meetings — one with owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka, and another with former president Magic Johnson, who served as the unofficial recruiter-in-chief of the operation.
Shortly after Johnson and Leonard met, information was leaked about the topics of their conversation, something that might not have been taken kindly by Leonard's camp, who wanted to keep all these details secret during the interview process:
“I truly believe that when Magic started telling the media about the meeting he had with Kawhi and Dennis, that sealed the fate of the Lakers,” a person involved in the process told The Athletic. “I think that right there was when Dennis and Kawhi decided we can’t trust the Lakers as an organization. And that was it. I think that was it for them.”
While that act alone didn’t eliminate the Lakers from contention for Leonard's service, Johnson not being able to help himself but be a man of the people certainly didn't help the Lakers' chances to snag the star in free agency.
Leonard then met with the Toronto Raptors and ultimately signed with the LA Clippers, whom he agreed to sign with days later after the team traded for Paul George to be his new All-Star partner.
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