This is part one of our in-depth look at the top players in this ridiculously deep 2019 free agent class.
Possible Teams: Raptors (-140), Clippers (+150), Lakers (+700)
Stats & Accolades:
The "King of the North" was drafted with the 15th pick in the 2011 draft to be a defensive stopper. He won his first Finals MVP in 2014 for his lock-down defense against LeBron James en route to his first championship with the San Antonio Spurs. Within two years he became one of the top two-way players in the league, in the conversation with Paul George and Anthony Davis. He made the All-NBA First Team in 2016 and 2017 and won a Defensive Player of the year award before missing most of the 2018 season with the infamous quad injury. His 2019 finals performance in the Raptors defeat of the Warriors show just how far he has come as a scorer. He is arguably the best all-around player in the game right now and clearly the difference in this year’s Raptors squad winning the Championship. That said, the Raptors took a calculated gamble on Leonard as he enters unrestricted free agency after just one year with the team.
Roster/Championship Potential:
3) Clippers – Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley are the faces on a underappreciated team that overachieved by going 48-34 and taking two games from the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers traded their best player (Tobias Harris) midyear with the hopes of clearing cap space and landing a max free agent like "Board Man" himself. On a roster full of youth and quality role players, Kawhi would be the man if he went to the Clippers, and it would be interesting to see what other star power the team can surround him with.
2) Raptors – They’re the defending champs and Western conference champions Golden State will likely field a team identical the one Toronto just beat. While Toronto lacks long-term star power, the core of Lowry, Siakim, Ibaka, Vanvleet, and Marc Gasol have proven that they can bring a championship to the North.
1) Lakers – Although Vegas has the Lakers as the least likely of these three to land Kawhi, the combination of Leonard, Anthony Davis, Lebron James, and Kyle Kuzma would be a formidable foe, even for a healthy Golden State team in 2020-2021. L.A. would boast three All-NBA level talents and two elite defenders that could lock down any combination of big men or wings you throw at them.
Fit:
3) Lakers – If Leonard joined Lebron and Anthony Davis, they would each be sacrificing some shots and control of the ball because you have three legitimate MVP candidates vying for plays. He doesn’t really seem like the type that would want to create a superteam or deal with the drama of playing with Lebron.
2) Clippers – Obviously Leonard, as such a great defender and playmaker, would fit anywhere, but there would be something special about coming back to LA to play in front of his hometown.
1) Raptors – It’s obvious that the NBA Finals MVP is already a good fit on his team that just won the Championship. He is their premier defender and has a good playmaking point guard in Kyle Lowrie that has shown he can also take over when the defense commits too heavily to Leonard.
Cap Room:
Raptors: Re-signing Kawhi would put the Raptors over the cap. They would likely have to let go of SG Danny Green back and one of their expensive big men (Gasol or Ibaka) to make room for Leonard.
Clippers: They have $56 million in cap space, making it possible that they could sign Kawhi and add another second-tier free agent, such as Khris Middleton, Nicola Vucevic, or D’Angelo Russell.
Lakers: They currently have $23 million in cap space. They would need to find teams to absorb the contracts of their remaining players (Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jermerrio Jones) in order to make room for Leonard. And they would have very little depth, needing to fill out their roster with guys taking minimum salaries. But then again, even if you only have two of those three healthy (Leonard, Davis, LeBron), that might be enough to win the Championship next year.
Most Likely Team:
3) Lakers – Even if the Lakers do manage to clear the cap space to get a third max player, it seems unlikely Kawhi would be the player they would get. Unlike many superstars, he seems to flee the limelight, and has expressed zero interesting in playing with another superstar.
2) Raptors – Toronto has literally given Kawhi Leonard the keys to the city. There’s no reason to think Toronto wouldn’t have a better chance of winning the championship next year than they did coming into the 2018-2019 season. Leonard is already one of the most beloved Raptors of all time for bringing Toronto their first championship, so who could blame him if he stays? If Leonard wants to maximize both his championship potential and his financial earnings, he could split the difference but signing a one-year contact with the Raptors with a player option for 2020-21. That would allow the Raptors to run it back with their entire team in tact and for Leonard to re-enter 2020 free agency as the undisputed prize of the class, and possibly, a third NBA championship.
1) Clippers – It's hard to go against the odds. LA has everything Kawhi Leonard could want. He can be the dominant player on a contending team in his hometown and avoid the drama of the Lakers front office and playing with LeBron. If he is able to bring a championship to his hometown team, he will be the most beloved Clipper of all-time. The roster, hometown appeal, and the financial flexibility Make the Clippers the most likely choice.
Possible Teams: Warriors (-500), Knicks (+900), Nets (+900)
Stats & Accolades: Thompson is the penultimate "Three-and-D" player. He has a career 42% 3-point shooting percentage that jumps to 44% in the playoffs; he and fellow Splash Brother Steph Curry are two of the five most prolific three-point shooters in NBA history. He also made his first All-Defensive team this year and is regularly tasked with guarding the opponent's best perimeter player. Although never the centerpiece of the Warrior’s dynasty, he is a five-time All-Star that could easily be THE star on several teams looking to make a move. The question will be how long Thompson takes to recover from the ACL injury he suffered in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The injury usually requires 6-12 months to recover, so any team that signs him may have to forego any hope of playing with him during the 2019-2020 regular season.
Roster/Championship Potential:
3) Knicks – The Knicks had the NBA's worst record last season and were one of the worst defensive teams in recent NBA history. Even with the addition of a hobbled Thompson, another max-level superstar, and their top draft pick R.J. Barrett, it seems the best the Knicks could hope for is eeking their way into the playoffs. For the 2019-20 season, a championship is out of the question.
2) Nets – The Nets overachieved this season as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. They have a strong young core in first time All-Star D’Angelo Russell, center Jarrett Allen, wingman Caris LeVert, and super sixth-man Spencer Dinwiddie. If Russell leaves in free agency, the Nets are probably two pieces away from being contenders for the Eastern Conference. Even the addition of Thompson would still necessitate the re-signing of Russell or the addition of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, or another big name piece to match up against Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee.
1) Warriors – Even being down two perennial All-Stars, the Warriors are still a serious Championship threat. If they can find their way into the playoffs next year, Thompson could potentially return as early as the All-Star break of next year. The combination of Thompson, Curry, and whomever they add in free agency (ex: De'Andre Jordan, Tobias Harris) could still make them a potent championship contender.
Fit:
3) Knicks – Thompson would be the centerpiece of a rebuild if he moved to New York. With guards R.J. Barrett and Dennis Smith, Jr. already on the roster, the Knicks would be counting on the development of big man Mitchell Robinson, trading for someone like Clint Capela, or signing free agents like Nicola Vucevic or DeMarcus Cousins.
2) Nets – Thompson would have the chance to pair with an All-Star point guard (likely D’Angelo Russell or Kyrie Irving) in addition to a great bench and the floor spacing of three-point champion Joe Harris in the front court.
1) Warriors – Thompson has already won three championships with the Warriors, with explosive scoring providing a devastating complement to Curry and Durant. He maximizes Draymond Green's passing with his excellent spot-up shooting and his defense helps mask some of Curry’s on-the-ball shortcomiings, allowing him to cover the weaker scorer in the opponent’s backcourt. It’s hard to imagine him fitting any offense better.
Cap Room:
Warriors – Golden State has roughly $13 million in caps space and would go DEEP into the luxury tax if they keep both Thompson and Durant. If they do lose Durant, they still would not have much room for adding an additional big-name free agent.
Nets – They have $67 million of cap space. That does not include recent free agent D’Angleo Russell. If they can woo two max players, they’d have the money to pay Klay and another max player (Irving, Walker, D’Angelo Russell)
Knicks – They have $60 million of cap space. Like the Nets, they could finagle two max players, so Klay would likely be joined by another max player in New York.
Most Likely Team:
1) Golden State Warriors – Golden State ranks as 1a, b, and c. Thompson may enjoy the wining and dining that comes with free agency, and living up the trips to Brooklyn and Manhattan meeting with the New York teams, but ultimately, it's nearly impossible to see him leaving Golden State. His ACL injury, which could potentially lower his market value, is yet another reason to stay so he can use this regular season to rehab, and come back upon full recovery either to the 2020 playoffs or the 2020-2021 season to make a run at a fourth championship.
Possible Teams: Knicks (-150), Nets (+200), Celtics (+500), Lakers (+600)
Stats & Accolades: The former No.1 overall pick in the 2011 draft is a six-time All-Star that was just named to his second All-NBA second team. He has averaged 24+ PPG the last three seasons and 24 PPG in four trips to the playoffs. His offensive playmaking would be a boon to any team that lands him, even though his record as a teammate the last three seasons has been questionable to say the least.
Roster/Championship Potential:
4) Knicks – Irving or any other free agent going to New York has to realize it is going to take time to turn around the ship in Manhattan. New York is still several years away from being a championship contender no matter what free agents they land.
3) Nets – Irving provides an immediate upgrade over fellow All-Star D’Angelo Russell and would likely be joined by a second max free agent in Brooklyn. That might not quite be enough to put them in the top tier of teams in the Eastern Conference, but the Nets would certainly be in the mix.
2) Celtics – The majority of the core group that made it to Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals is still intact (Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris). Even with Al Horford opting out of his player option, the Celtics still seem to be only a few good breaks away from an NBA Finals appearance. The question is not whether they could make a run at a championship but rather whether Kyrie wants to be any part of it.
1) Lakers – Irving won a championship with LeBron James in 2016 without a third teammate anywhere near the caliber of Anthony Davis. The Lakers could be a potential odds-on favorite to win the 2020 NBA Finals if they can convince Irving to join back with Lebron in L.A.
Fit:
4) Celtics – At times, felt like Irving did all that he could to burn the bridges in Boston. Despite rumors to the contrary, Boston's net rating was actually better with Irving on the floor, but it's hard to imagine a comeback to Boston would be warmly embraced by either side.
3) Lakers – Kyrie and Lebron did learn to work well together, running fast breaks, playing pick and roll, and confounding defenses with two big-time scorers in Cleveland. Kyrie has the end-of-game shotmaking that Lebron likes to defer to. But when you have both on the floor, only one can control the ball, and you lose a little bit of the value of the other. They would be a talented fit together again, but does Kyrie want to give up the alpha dog role again?
2) Knicks – When Kyrie left Cleveland for Boston, he wanted to be the alpha dog. There has to be some of that same mentality in him now, and he would certainly be the man in New York. It would even be a bit of a homecoming as he spent his high school years across the river in Jersey.
1) Nets – D’Angelo Russell was an all-star in 2018 playing with this group, and Irving would be a upgrade offensively from him. I think he would slot in nicely as a combo playmaker/scorer in Brooklyn, and it seems that if they were piecing the team together with two max guys, they would find a complement to Irving.
Cap Room: The Knicks and Nets both have ample cap space (Brooklyn: $67 million, New York: $60 million) to add both Kyrie and another max free agent. The Lakers now have $23 million in cap room but are attempting to clear space with three of the five players on their roster to add a third max player. Boston has $32 million of cap space and could certainly fit Kyrie although would be unlikely to add another big-name free agent.
Most Likely Team:
3) LA Lakers – Making a move to the Lakers would certainly be a change in philosophy from Irving's move to Boston three years ago. That being said, if he wants to chase championships and has developed more empathy for Lebron as a leader, L.A. would provide him the best chance to win now. At some point, Lebron’s quality of play will decline from all the miles he’s logged, and Irving and Davis could continue as the centerpiece of L.A.’s future.
2) New York Knicks – Although New York is, and will be, a work in progress, Irving would undoubtedly be the the alpha dog while their young talent continues to develop. If New York also adds another max player, i.e. Kevin Durant, it seems likely it would certainly complement his game. It would also be interesting to see Irving and No. 3 overall pick R.J. Barrett play together, but Kyrie has shown that he is more of a scoring guard than a true point guard, so the combo could work together.
1) Brooklyn Nets – If you’re looking at Kyrie’s priorities in moving to Boston, you see that he wanted a chance to be the man and win a championship. In Brooklyn, he has a playoff team with the capacity to add two max free agents. They seem like they fit what Kyrie wants. He went to high school in Jersey, so this would be a bit of a homecoming, and I think he’d love to get a chance to play Boston four times a year in the same division to remind them what they’re missing.
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