Kawhi Leonard has entered the LeBron James free agency drama. According to rumors, the current San Antonio Spurs forward will be key whether or not the Cavs star joins the Los Angeles Lakers or not.
Per Ramona Shelburne, Adrian Wojnarowski, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN:
Article Continues BelowThe stakes on these talks are enormous, because a deal for Leonard would likely clinch a free agent commitment out of LeBron James. James has until late Friday night to opt-out of the final year of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
When Leonard requested for a trade, he pointed to the Lakers as his favored destination. James, meanwhile, has been involved with the Laker rumor mill for the longest time. It is likely that he'll opt out of his contract with the Cavaliers. The Lakers, together with a long history of winning, have enough cap room to accommodate his talents. But in the event that they land both James and Leonard, they might have to let go of several pieces.
According to the report, the Lakers might be preparing for the said deal. Along with their young guns, they might include their 25th overall pick in the recently concluded draft:
The Lakers are in no rush to sign the 25th overall pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, Michigan forward Mo Wagner, to his rookie scale deal, which would allow the Lakers to include his draft rights into a trade package, league sources said. Wagner couldn't be traded for 30 days once he signs his rookie deal.