Kawhi Leonard will entertain plenty of suitors in his impending free agency, planning to take meetings with five different teams this summer.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday night that the Toronto Raptors star is likely to take meetings with the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and L.A. Clippers, who are the frontrunners for his services along with the defending champions.
Via Dan Favale of Bleacher Report:
“The Clippers and Raptors are certainly at the front of the line for [Kawhi Leonard],” said Wojnarowski. “I'm told that Leonard may very well take visits in free agency, meetings at least, with the Knicks, the 76ers, possibly even the Nets, in addition to the Clippers.”
This is believed to be a two-horse race between the Raptors and Leonard's hometown Clippers, yet other suitors will at least have a chance to shoot their shot at snagging the Finals MVP, the best-available healthy commodity in the NBA after a major injury to Kevin Durant.
The Knicks are believed to have an outside shot at signing Leonard, given that they're an iconic franchise with a multitude of marketing opportunities to grow his brand.
Brooklyn has showed promise by making the playoffs this past season and likely overachieving with a roster that was considered a work in progress to start the season.
The Sixers have problems of their own deciding whether to sign Tobias Harris or Jimmy Butler to a max-level deal, but having Leonard on their team wouldn't be a poor backup option for a team that needs a shot-maker and a perimeter defender.
The Raptors can offer one more year than any other team and nearly $50 million more for Leonard in a long-term contract, yet no one seems to know which way he's leaning toward as of yet.
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