Kawhi Leonard Latest Update: Is the Ex-Spurs Superstar Going to Be the Next Lebron James in the East Coast?

Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens recently said that the addition of Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors is a major threat to their journey towards the Eastern Conference Finals. After Lebron James decided to leave the east coast and play for the Los Angeles Lakers, discussions on who will reign as the dominant team in the east exploded.

Right now, that team is considered to be the Celtics. Brad Stevens has already proven his mettle when he took his crippled roster all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last year. And even without their core players, the Celtics still managed to force the series to a sudden death against Lebron and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now that Lebron is gone, Kawhi Leonard has filled in his shoes as the biggest threat the Celtics will face.

While Celtics players Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier are confident they will see the Golden State Warriors when the next playoff finals roll around, Stevens wants them to remain grounded. The accomplished coach is advising his roster to remain focused as they will need to earn their spot again next season, Give Me Sport reported. There is little doubt that Stevens already has a game plan for Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors when they ultimately meet.

The Raptors came out as the best team in the east last year, winning four more games ahead of the Celtics. And with the addition of Kawhi Leonard, their roster has become even more competitive.

However, there’s still the question of chemistry for Kawhi Leonard and his new teammates. The Raptors head coach role has undergone a change as Dwane Casey was replaced by Nick Nurse after the team lost in a devastating fashion against the Cavs during the previous playoffs.

What’s more, Kawhi Leonard is also heavily speculated to not sign with the Raptors in the long term and has vaguely expressed his desire to transfer to either the Lakers or Clippers. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year is going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Raptors are doing everything they can to convince the superstar to stay in Toronto.

The team even went as far as hiring Kawhi Leonard’s childhood friend, Jeremy Castleberry, as a player development coach to get him to stay. With all this information on the table, it still isn’t enough to truly know what the superstar's decision is going to be.

Kawhi Leonard has always been a quiet person, long before he became an NBA champion. As such, little is known about the forward’s line of thinking. But if he does decide to sign with the Lakers next season, then the team’s chances of winning a ring will definitely experience a massive spike.