San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard has reached out to LeBron James, informing the 33-year-old superstar that he wants to join forces with the best player in the league.
Leonard pitched James on his incredible defensive ability and how it would alleviate the pressure on James.
It has been widely reported/known that Leonard wants to be traded from the Spurs organization, and trade talks with San Antonio regarding Leonard reportedly picked up steam Thursday, with the Lakers expressing interest in a deal.
James has until Friday to opt out of his contract with the Cavs but is expected to become the most coveted player on the market when free agency opens Sunday at midnight ET, something that has become a common occurrence in the Lebron James era of the NBA.
Leonard — a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and two-time First-Team All-NBA selection — possesses the shooting prowess to play on or off the ball, and would seem to be an ideal fit with James. During the 2016-17 season, Leonard had a nearly identical catch-and-shoot percentage as Kevin Durant, per NBA.com stats, while connecting on 38 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Leonard has played seven seasons with the Spurs and was the NBA Finals MVP in 2014.
The Spurs are in no rush to make a deal, and don’t necessarily have to, preferring to try to repair their relationship with Leonard and potentially reward him with a super-max contract. But this certainly adds another layer of intrigue to an already complicated situation involving one of the league’s premier players.
As a Rockets’ fan, this scenario scares me, as does almost all Lebron destinations besides those that are in the Eastern Conference. A team in LA with LBJ, Paul George(Oh Yeah, he’s reportedly interested in joining the Lakers regardless of what happens with James and Kawhi) and Leonard would immediately be the team to beat in the West.