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The Los Angeles Lakers have not been nearly as aggressive as they looked to be prior to getting a commitment from LeBron James, who agreed to a four-year, $154 million deal with the team.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are heavily leaning toward acquiring Leonard via free agency, rather than a trade — already at a stalemate with the Spurs for the right pieces to make a deal work.
“The Lakers now in a way, they've approached these talks with San Antonio, they're kind of showing their hand that they may just be willing to wait until next summer for free agency,” said Wojnarowski. “They've not made an overwhelming offer, I don't think they've come close to the threshold that the Spurs like.”
The Spurs have been reportedly offended by the offers made for their injured star forward, and chances are that this experienced front office won't let him go unless they're wowed by an offer.
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San Antonio would reportedly want a player like Brandon Ingram or Kyle Kuzma included in the deal, while Boston Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown and Philadelphia 76ers point guard Markelle Fultz are also targets.
All of the aforementioned have been taken off the negotiating table, which means conversations are mostly pick-heavy, giving the Spurs very little immediate return for their franchise player.
The Lakers are gambling with time once again, as their lack of aggression cost them Paul George, who admitted the franchise “didn't grab me” when he had every intention to wind up in Los Angeles.
George is now locked into a four-year, $137 million agreement with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the same could happen with Leonard, especially if their in-city rival L.A. Clippers find themselves able to dole out the money for his services.
