The NBA buzz right now seems to focus on one man and where he is headed to. Still relishing the championship title he just won with the Toronto Raptors, Kawhi Leonard is hard-pressed to deal with his free agency status. What exactly is the plan?
Leonard himself is mum on the subject, which only fired up the speculations even more. But it's quite clear multiple NBA teams are scrambling to get the attention of the Raptors main man. And most of them are willing and able to offer super-max offers, packaged to Leonard's needs and specifications.
One strong candidate is the Los Angeles Clippers that supposedly have an inside track on the All-Star. According to Fox News, the Clippers enjoy quite an advantage over other suitors if the rumors are to be believed - that Leonard had originally planned to play in L.A. even before he had signed up with Toronto.
Going into the free agency period this July, it is said Leonard intends to have a serious talk with the Clippers management and it only reinforced the notion that in the event of his exit from Toronto, Leonard is going back to his native California.
In California, however, Leonard has also the option to picture himself wearing the Purple and Gold. CBS Sports said the Los Angeles Lakers are in the list of teams being studied by the Leonard camp, and the team is certainly a big factor.
Indeed it would be a thrill to see The Claw starring for the Lakers alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis but the team will need to find ways that clear cap space in order to accommodate Leonard. Having the All-Star would mean the Lakers need to offer super-max of five or four years to Leonard that will cost $190 million and $140 million, respectively.
It remains to be seen how the Lakers front office will maneuver to bring Leonard to their fold.
But it is near certain the Toronto Raptors can afford to give Leonard what he needs and wants. The Toronto crowd wants him to stay and for up to five years more if possible. Given the success of the last campaign, Leonard has all the reasons to re-sign with the Raptors and the chance is high he'll collect a couple more of NBA rings along the way.
Or he can toy with the idea of getting paired with Jimmy Butler, which according to Bleacher Report has the makings of a formidable duo. "The pair would offer elite two-way wing play, as each possesses the ability to score from all three levels and defend an opposing team's top offensive option," the report added.
It doesn't necessarily mean that such a scenario will happen with the Philadelphia 76ers, Butler's current team. This could happen in Houston, in New York and in Los Angeles, which are cities where Leonard can look forward to further advance his flourishing career.
