The Los Angeles Lakers have two of the NBA’s best players after agreeing to trade for Anthony Davis this past weekend. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that L.A. could add a third before the summer is over.
ESPN’s Damon Jones reported on “Get Up” Monday morning that Kawhi Leonard will be a “strong possibility” for the Lakers if the team has enough salary cap space to offer the free agent a max contract. A source has told Jones that if Leonard re-signs with the Toronto Raptors, it will be on a short-term deal.
The Los Angeles Clippers, not the Lakers, have been considered to be the most likely landing spot for Leonard this offseason.
According to Fox Sports’ Cris Carter, the two Los Angeles teams and both New York teams will all be involved in the Kawhi Leonard Sweepstakes, in addition to Toronto.
The key component to the Lakers’ pursuit of Leonard, or any other All-Star, is in the details of the Davis trade. The deal can’t officially be completed for a few weeks. Putting it off even longer could give L.A. the chance to add a third max player to the roster.
LeBron James and Davis are already signed to max contracts.
If the trade is made official on July 6, the Lakers will only have $23.7 million in cap space. If the New Orleans Pelicans agree to delay the deal and officially accept it on July 30, the Lakers would have $32.5 million to spend, giving them just enough money to pay a free agent max money.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the trade is expected to be made in the first week of July. That would all but eliminate the Lakers’ chances of signing the 2019 NBA Finals MVP.