It's been speculated Spurs star Kawhi Leonard wants to be traded to a Los Angeles team, which is his hometown. But with the news of LeBron James signing with the Lakers, it may not be that simple anymore.
The Clippers are reportedly making it a priority to land Leonard in a trade with the Spurs, however the two-time All-Star may no longer be interested in playing in Los Angeles. It was reported Wednesday that Leonard doesn't want to play with James on the Lakers, and according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Leonard is not as interested in going to the Clippers now that James is with the Lakers.
Per Lakers Nation:
“I’ve been told that one of the reasons why he looks at going to the Clippers or is a little less motivated is I think initially the idea of L.A. was fine to him. He preferred the Lakers but was open to the Clippers. But now that LeBron is in L.A., I think the idea of going head-to-head with LeBron, to have (Kawhi) with the Clippers, him with the Lakers, and to maybe feel dwarfed by that, I’m told that’s become far less appealing to him,” Wojnarowski explained on "The Woj Pod."
The Lakers have also reportedly been in trade talks regarding Leonard, but according to Yahoo NBA insider Shams Charania, the presence of LeBron James may actually hinder the Lakers’ chances of landing Leonard.
"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,” Charania told "The Herd" on Tuesday.
If Leonard doesn't end up in Los Angeles, the other two teams that have been heavily connected to trade rumors involving Leonard are the 76ers and Celtics. However, both teams aren't wiling to make their top players available. Wojnarowski reported Tuesday: "[Joel] Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz — they're off limits. Boston's really got their top five players off limits. Boston's more willing to do a deal that's (draft) pick-heavy."
The Spurs have made it known they aren't willing to give Leonard away for cheap. Earlier this week, San Antonio asked Philadelphia for three future first-round picks and two current players in exchange for the 27-year-old forward, according to a report from Yahoo Sports. It's not known at this time what the Spurs are asking for in a trade with the Celtics.
