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Now that LeBron James is off the market Kawhi Leonard’s next landing spot becomes the focal point of the NBA offseason. Two weeks ago, Leonard met with Gregg Popovich and reportedly told his coach that he wanted to be traded to either the Lakers or the Clippers.
On Monday, Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania indicated that Leonard and his camp weren’t really “jumping for joy” about joining the Lakers after LeBron’s move to L.A.
Via Sporting News
“Around Kawhi, it’s been made abundantly clear there’s not an interest to go join a superteam. I don’t think he’s jumping for joy that LeBron James is in L.A. with the Lakers,” . “If anything, that’s going to make him look, maybe more, toward the Clippers because this is a guy that won Finals MVP against LeBron James. You think he’s amped up and wants to join LeBron now? I think that’s been overstated.
During his podcast yesterday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a bomb when he reported that he had heard Leonard didn’t find the idea of joining the Clippers and competing against LeBron in LA very appealing.
Via Adrian Wojnarowski
I’ve been told that one of the reasons Kawhi Leonard looks at going to the Clippers-is a little less motivated (to go to the Clippers) is because initially the idea of Los Angeles was fine to him, he preferred the Lakers but was alright with the Clippers but now that LeBron James is there, the idea of going head-to-head with LeBron, to have Kawhi with the Clippers and LeBron with the Lakers and to maybe feel dwarfed by that, I’m told that’s become far less appealing for him.
The whole Kawhi Leonard drama just keeps getting more bizarre by the day.