Earlier this morning, Carter said he expected Kawhi to make a decision today and that the Lakers would be his best bet. Well, as Carter explained just moments ago, we’re going to have to wait yet another day for Leonard’s big announcement.
After looking like we would find out today, we will not. Kawhi is still undecided & is not going to finalize his decision today.
Also, contrary to other reports, Kawhi is NOT interested in signing a 1 or 2 year deal. When he signs, it will be a long term contract.
— Cris Carter (@criscarter80) July 5, 2019
A long-term deal makes sense for Leonard given his injury history. That also makes the stakes of his free agency even higher. Someone is going to secure one of the NBA’s top players for years. Other teams won’t get another crack at him anytime soon.
The clock is ticking on the Lakers’ cap space. They’re reportedly bound to trade for Anthony Davis tomorrow. That deal becoming official would leave them with well below max cap space. So, if Leonard is still considering the Lakers, he must decide soon.
The Clippers can keep their cap space open, and the Raptors don’t need cap space to re-sign Leonard. Those teams will likely wait as long as Leonard takes. Which will apparently be at least another day.
