Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard On Free Agency: ‘I’m Going To Take The Right Time’
Although rumors are swirling around the plans of Toronto Raptors’ small forward Kawhi Leonard ahead of the NBA free agency, which is less than two weeks away, Bleacher Report claims that the NBA Finals MVP said Monday outside Toronto’s City Hall that he’s taking his time to make sure he makes the best decision for himself.
“I’m going to take the right time.”
“You don’t need too many days to figure it out. We’ll see what happens. Once that time comes, then we’ll all lay the pros and cons out,” he added.
According to Leonard, he has yet to begin focusing on his potential free agency and is instead enjoying the time off.
“I’m enjoying this,” he said of the Raptors’ championship parade. “It’s not time to stress, it’s still time to have some fun. I’ve just been enjoying my experience.”
Associated Press reports that Leonard said that he enjoyed his time in Toronto during the season and even touched on the weather in Canada.
“It was a good experience, experiencing Mother Nature, all four seasons. Man, it was a great experience. Everybody off the court was great. The fans, just meeting people in Canada. It’s been fun.”
Although many people are floating the idea that Leonard will make a run at the Los Angeles Lakers, not everyone is convinced. As The Inquisitr previously reported, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski believes that Leonard is most likely to sign with the Raptors or Clippers, shooting down rumors that the NBA star could head west to join the Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
“Kawhi Leonard’s focus [is] on Los Angeles, but it’s the Clippers, not the Lakers.”
.@raptors @kawhileonard celebrates with his girlfriend Kishele Shipley while their daughter Kaliyah naps oblivious to the deafening roars of #WeTheNorth #wethenorthday #toronto pic.twitter.com/aDFHAaII2p
— Frank Gunn (@frankgunnphoto) June 17, 2019
Wojnarowski suggests that Leonard would be a “third wheel” if he joined the Lakers roster, and also highlights that the Lakers wouldn’t have enough money to snag a player like Leonard.
Although Leonard and the rest of the Raptors enjoyed their time at the Monday parade, a shooting near Nathan Phillips Square created a brief scare for the team as well as the Raptors fans that flooded the city. Per The Inquisitr, the victims’ injuries were serious but non-life-threatening, and the shooting was reportedly between two people who are currently in custody.
Immediately following the shooting, politicians such as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mayor John Tory, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford remained onstage and fans were urged to stay calm. Some people — including Raptors coach Nick Nurse — spoke to the crowd to help them ease their nerves.
