It is safe to say that Kawhi Leonard has earned a spot for himself at the all-time greats table.The way he handles himself on the court has made him arguably one of the best small forwards of the modern game. However, he still needs to secure a few more rings in order to maintain his spot. After failing to win the title for the second season running, there have been some rumors that he is looking for greener pastures.
On top of all the speculation, Kawhi has now declined his player option which effectively makes him an unrestricted free agent this offseason. This decision was a long time coming since he hinted on doing this before the start of this season.
Declining his player option is most definitely a calculated risk taken by Kawhi Leonard. He knows that a player of his caliber will not go unnoticed in the free agency rather he will see a significant rise in his earnings in the league, irrespective of the franchise he chooses. Today, we take a look at some of the potential landing spots for Kawhi Leonard this offseason.
- Miami Heat
Having struggled massively in the last season, the Miami Heat are looking towards conducting a large-scale revamp of their entire team structure, and that includes signing high-quality players this offseason. Having declined his player option, Kawhi Leonard looks as their best bet.
Alongside Jimmy Butler and Adebayo, Leonard will provide technical support and some much-needed flair in the offense, something that was evidently missing last season. Apart from that, the Miami Heat also have the cap space to accommodate such a massive deal. All the signs point in one direction, now it’s up to the administrations to decide.
- Dallas Mavericks
As of now, the Dallas Mavericks look the keenest on signing Kawhi this offseason. They already have a star in Luka Doncic, and plan on offloading a handful of players in the coming weeks. The time looks right for Leonard to join this team as they look forward to becoming title challengers.
Having won two championships, Kawhi will bring a championship mentality to the outfit. Should he choose to sign for them, the Dallas Mavericks will become a force of nature with the dynamic duo of Doncic and Leonard at the helm of things. Who knows, they might be able to replicate the magic of Nowitzki and Kidd back in ‘11.
- New York Knicks
In my opinion, there is no other franchise in the entirety of the league that needs a seasoned professional more than the Knicks. They have a massively improved power forward in Julius Randle, however, other players have let them down in pivotal games. The arrival of Leonard could help solve all of their problems.
The lack of sure shooters in the outfit was evident in the games of last season, and Kawhi is one of the most elite shooters in the game. He also has an offensive mindset which he can use to best effect in tandem with the brute power of Randle. All in all, it looks like a great match from outside and I’m sure the MSG crowd would like to have a player with championship pedigree in their ranks.
- Los Angeles Clippers
That’s right, the Los Angeles Clippers is still an option for Leonard. Even after declining his player option, he might end up running it back for a third season with the Clippers. This is because of the fact that the LA outfit will probably outbid every other franchise and offer him a better contract than most teams.
Moreover, Kawhi Leonard winning a third championship with a different outfit has a nice ring to it and will add to his already prominent legacy. Albeit difficult, this deal cannot be thrown out of the equation altogether. Ultimately, it will all be up to an injury-prone Kawhi and what he decides to do in the coming weeks.
Kawhi Leonard’s stellar career has been plagued by injuries right from the start. Being injured while negotiating deals with franchises is quite a bold move. However, he has always managed to come back stronger and all the franchises will be pinning their hopes on that.
Along with the Clippers, Kawhi managed to get to the Western conference Finals and gave a good show to their supporters. However, they were handed a sound drubbing at the hands of the Phoenix Suns and they went back to the drawing board. If Kawhi happens to rejoin the Clippers, it will boost the confidence of the entire team and administrators. They might even be able to win a championship for the other side of Los Angeles.