Kawhi Leonard will speak to the Los Angeles Lakers in the next few days and has made a personal request that only owner Jeanie Buss and Magic Johnson, the team’s former president of basketball operations, be involved in the meeting, sources told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
Leonard did not opt into the final year of his contract with the Toronto Raptors, making him an unrestricted free agent.
He is expected to allow the Raptors to make the final presentation among the teams meeting with him in Los Angeles next week, league sources have told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The incumbent often prefers to go last in trying to convince a player to stay with the team.
Leonard was named NBA Finals MVP after helping Toronto win the franchise’s first championship in his first season with the team. He was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the San Antonio Spurs last summer.
Johnson shocked the Lakers and Buss by resigning from his position in April and then later accused general manager Rob Pelinka of backstabbing him.
