The Toronto Raptors never truly believed that the Los Angeles Lakers were an option for Kawhi Leonard, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

While Leonard did meet with the Lakers in free agency, he ended up signing with the Los Angeles Clippers:

No matter the intent, having a second suitor in Los Angeles was a key component in his bold plan that broke new ground on the player empowerment front. Consider this much, too: A source with knowledge of Toronto’s process said the Raptors never truly believed that the Lakers were an option for Leonard.

The Raptors had this right all along. There was just no way Leonard was going to play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis after winning his second Finals MVP.

The Clippers acquired Paul George from the Oklahoma City after getting a verbal commitment from Leonard. The Lakers still had a productive offseason despite missing out on Leonard and they currently have the best record in the Western Conference.

However, Laker fans were hoping Leonard would come to the LakeShow and give the Lakers one of the best Big Threes assembled in NBA history. Leonard, though, had other ideas and created his own Big Two with the Clippers.