The LA Clippers' incessant pursuit of Kawhi Leonard had the franchise send emissaries from president Lawrence Frank on down to Toronto Raptors games, hoping they would be spotted with their team logo abreast and help persuade him to come to the West Coast and sign with them come free agency. According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the recent anti-tampering memo sent from the league office to all 30 teams was seen as a sign for the Clippers to cut it out for good.
“Earlier this month the NBA, responding to outrage at James’s public pining for Pelicans star Anthony Davis, fired off a memo to all 30 teams, reminding them of anti-tampering rules,” wrote Mannix. “It included a note that “social courtesies” could be interpreted as tampering “if they are . . . intentional . . . repeated, and/or done for the purpose of conveying interest in the player while he is under contract with another team.” Several teams, including Toronto, took that as a message to the Clippers.”
NBA teams have developed an expertise at bending the law and finding loopholes to achieve their desired results. For now, the message is clear — no more unwarranted visits to the Scotiabank Arena in hopes to make a good impression. Though it's only a matter of time before the Clippers find another way to persuade Leonard to make the move.
The location is already there for them and will be likely the strongest factor when it comes to his free-agent decision, but the Raptors can offer the biggest sum by holding his Bird rights, an offer that just might make Leonard think twice before making his final decision.
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