After winning a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, many believed Kawhi Leonard would not stay in Toronto. The expectation was that he would head home to California, and eventually that is what happened.
At the time, rumors were everywhere about Leonard potentially joining the Los Angeles Lakers. The franchise had just landed Anthony Davis, and adding Leonard would have formed a powerhouse trio alongside LeBron James. For a moment, the move looked likely, but Leonard signed with the Clippers instead.
Years later, a new report revisiting Toronto’s confidence of re-signing Leonard that summer has provided another layer to the story. It revealed Leonard wasn’t interested in playing alongside LeBron, which briefly kept Toronto’s hopes alive.
“The Raptors believed there was a real chance he would return instead of going to the Clippers despite the lure of Leonard’s home state of California. Leonard didn’t want to play with LeBron James, so the Lakers were a third wheel in the sweepstakes. Jimmy Butler, a preferred partner, was headed to Miami. And Leonard recognized that Toronto was the best basketball situation, all told.”
