Kawhi Leonard was narrowly close to tipping the scales in favor of the purple and gold. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Leonard would have likely chosen the Los Angeles Lakers if the LA Clippers didn't find a way to trade for Paul George, which only rendered the Raptors as a third option in conversations:

“If they didn’t want to wait for me, they didn’t have to,” said Leonard in an exclusive interview with Haynes after the introductory press conference. “They had a big opportunity to sign me. [The Lakers] were close, but I ended up on the other side.”

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It seems Leonard's preferred spot was always the Clippers, but he was looking for a reason to substantiate that decision, making them prove their loyalty and commitment by acquiring another superstar to pair him with. The Clippers did just that by finding a way to trade for George within 48 hours and ultimately giving up a king's ransom worth of picks — an NBA record of five first-rounders, which netted them not only the MVP finalist, but also their prized target in Leonard.

The Raptors had already made their best pitch by showing Leonard they were capable of winning a title, but no amount of promises, not even the extra millions they could offer over the Lakers and Clippers, could persuade him to keep him from returning to his home city.