It hasn’t been a week since the Toronto Raptors won their first NBA Finals, yet the team and the fans surrounding them are concerned about their star Kawhi Leonard resigning.
The two-time Finals MVP has got the eye of all teams this season yet again after showing he is one of the best-proven players in the league. The free-agency period starts on June 30, with the league’s most mysterious superstar unproven of where he might land by the start of next season.
With the Los Angeles Lakers recently trading Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and several first-round picks to the New Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis, Leonard could join the super-team, as the Lakers have around $30 million left in cap space. Leonard has hinted at a move to go back to his home state of California, but the Lakers may not have enough cap space for him. Instead, he may favor the Los Angeles Clippers, as they have plenty of cap space and he would be a certain star on the team rather than being LeBron James’ Number two.
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said that there is not much more the Raptors could do to convince Leonard to stay after winning the team’s first NBA Finals.
“I think for us, there is nothing more that we can do. We’ve done it. The city has done it. This franchise [has] done it. The coaches have done it. My teammates have done it. We’ve done our job. The best way to recruit somebody is to just be yourself over the course of the year, and I would assume that he knows what is here and what makes this place special,” VanVleet said, according to ESPN. “If it’s enough then it’s enough. If it’s not then it’s not. We would all love for him to be back and if he’s not then we will move on from there.
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Other guys have voiced their concerns about Leonard’s decision. Danny Green said that his move is a big influence for the rest of the team, while coach Nick Nurse is reportedly unsure about Leonard’s future.
“I don’t really know,” Nurse said, according to ESPN. “I know he’s got to make a decision here really soon, couple of weeks. I think he had a good season and people like him here, and we can give him a good deal.”
