The 2018-19 season reminded NBA fans just how good Kawhi Leonard really is. Scratch that. The truth is, it revealed to everyone how much better Leonard is than anyone thought. That’s why once he opts out of his contract this offseason in July, as he is expected to, he could be one of the most sought after free agents in the league.
Based on his postseason and Finals performance, he might as well be the top free agent already.
Among the league’s 30 teams, these are the five that not only have the best chance to sign Leonard, they are also the ones that he should consider signing with this offseason:
Knicks have 2 max slots. Nets have 2 max slots. Clippers have a path to get 2 max slots. Lakers have a max slot plus the No. 4 pick & assets to make major move.
Get ready.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 6, 2019
Although Leonard appears to shun the spotlight with his quiet and unassuming nature, he is quite aware of his popularity. If suing Nike for his Klaw logo is any indication, the former Defensive Player of the Year understands his marketability as a basketball superstar.
One way to expand awareness for his brand is by playing for a major market city and very few come close to the exposure that the Knicks can give him. Leonard has been in the public’s consciousness lately more than any other year in his career. That shot to win the series against the Philadelphia 76ers made him more famous than ever and going to New York will ensure that his popularity soars even higher. And unlike Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Leonard isn’t one to mouth off anything controversial in the media capital of the world since he hardly speaks his mind.
The Nets are one of the best coached teams in the league, and if there’s anything that Leonard has been fortunate to always have in his career, it’s a great coach. He had Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs and now in Toronto, he has a rising star in Nick Nurse.
By signing with the Nets, he is guaranteed to have another good coach with Kenny Atkinson. Moreover, if the Nets decide to keep first-time All-Star D’Angelo Russell or let him walk and give that cap space to another big-name star, Leonard is almost assured of having another top-flight player alongside him.
After a strong showing this season punctuated by their first playoff appearance in years, Brooklyn has a huge opportunity to go beyond the first-round of the postseason since 2014 with Leonard leading the charge. After the recent trade of Allen Crabbe and his $18.5 million salary for next season as well as the 17th overall pick this June to the Atlanta Hawks, the Nets will be a force in free agency this July. They can create a potential championship-caliber roster in one summer. That is something that the former MVP candidate will want to be a part of.
Can you imagine a frontcourt featuring Leonard and LeBron James? Even if the Lakers miss out on getting Anthony Davis in a trade, signing the Raptors’ best player instead won’t be a step down in either talent or productivity.
Leonard supposedly wanted to play in L.A. before he was traded to Toronto last year. If he wants to win a title immediately, the best choice is the Lakers. With James in tow and some good young players around them (some could be traded for more veteran help, by the way), this team has a chance to be a championship contender.
Of course, that also still depends on how well coach Frank Vogel and assistant coach Jason Kidd can whip this team up into a solid fighting unit. Pairing a pass-first All-Star with an unselfish superstar like Leonard, this team can compete for a title in the next few years.
The Clippers nearly upset the defending champions in the first round of the playoffs this year. If they can sign Leonard this July, there’s no telling how good this team can become. Coach Doc Rivers did a superb job with a group of players that were practically discarded by other teams. No one expected them to give the Warriors a difficult time and yet they extended their series to a sixth game.
Plug in Leonard plus Lou Williams and another star in free agency and you have the makings of a title contender in the other L.A. team. And it all but guarantees that the San Diego State University alum will be the lead player on the team. That is unlike what will happen if he chooses the Lakers where James is looking to advance his career. By joining the Clippers, Leonard can forge his own path and create a legacy that is not tied to anyone else’s.
More importantly, he doesn’t have to deal with the politically-charged atmosphere that plagues the Lakers these days. If there’s anything that he despises in an organization, it’s one that will give him another headache from management. A repeat of the Spurs situation wherever he plays next is one he is looking to avoid.
If Leonard decides he wants to go to L.A., his likely choice is the Clippers.
The success that the Toronto Raptors are enjoying this season probably surprised Leonard. Looking back at the summer of 2018, it’s doubtful that he envisioned an NBA Finals appearance in 2019 from a team that just got swept in the Eastern Conference Semifinals the prior season by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
More than that, no one could have predicted that Leonard would be enjoying his stint with in Toronto as much as he has.
No matter the outcome of the Finals, there’s no team that Leonard should sign with other than the Raptors. Though he has only played one season so far in Canada, many are already hailing him as the best player that Toronto has ever had. We’ll have to hold off judgment on that one until Leonard makes a decision, though.
Nonetheless, the idea that he’s the franchise’s best ever shows just how good he has been this past season especially in the playoffs and the Finals. Leonard is receiving this kind of adulation and respect, not just from the city of Toronto but also from the entire country of Canada. This was sorely missing from his last season in San Antonio and it is this kind of reception that will most likely make him stay in a Raptors uniform for the foreseeable future.
Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri took a risk by trading for him but it has paid off handsomely with the team’s first-ever Finals appearance. If they win Game 5 on Monday, he will also lead the Raptors to their first-ever championship. This means they’ll have first dibs in signing Leonard to a long-term contract next month. If that happens, before his career is over, he will easily go down as the greatest Raptors player ever especially if he wins more than one ring.
By staying, he has the opportunity to build a lasting legacy in a city that is starved of big-name stars. The Raptors should be at the top of his wish list if he wants to build on the success he’s had this season. With him in tow, Toronto can look forward to more Finals appearances in the years to come.
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