Kawhi Leonard Rumors, Updates: Will the Raptors Manage to Convince Ex-Spurs Superstar to Stay?

Now that Kawhi Leonard is with the Toronto Raptors, fans and analysts are wondering if the ex-Spurs superstar will stay with the team. Kawhi is going to be a free agent next year and it’s still unclear whether or not he’ll opt to stay with the Raptors or transfer to other teams, Lakers Nation reported.

It’s been reported before that Kawhi Leonard wanted to play for the Los Angeles Lakers but the Spurs decided to send him to Canada instead. The Spurs’ decision isn’t really surprising since they didn’t want a player of Kawhi’s caliber bolstering the strength of a team in the Western Conference where the Spurs are playing.

And with Lebron James now signing a four-year deal with the Lakers, Kawhi Leonard joining that roster would dramatically increase the team’s chances of winning a championship. That is, of course, if the ex-Spurs decides to leave the Raptors after he becomes a free agent next year.

Kawhi Leonard has yet to comment on the matter and remains reticent regarding his thoughts about the trade and what his future plans are. He’s "Kawhi-et" (quiet), as Sportsnet host Faizal Khamisa jokingly remarked.

Recent developments about Kawhi Leonard are centered on his passing his physicals with the Raptors. Danny Green also passed his physicals despite suffering from a torn groin muscle, which was undetected by the Spurs organization when he played with them last season.

Danny Green was part of the deal that sent Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan. When the news broke out, both Raptors fans and NBA players were outraged at the decision, especially when DeRozan was apparently kept ignorant about the trade.

The Raptors may have also hurt their reputation with the agreement since DeRozan had been a franchise player for nearly a decade. However, the organization feels that its roster needs buffing up, that’s why it brought in Kawhi Leonard, who is hoped to increase its chances of dominating the east.

And with Lebron James now playing in the west, the Raptors are now in a good spot for trying their hands against the Warriors. The problem for the Raptors now is convincing Kawhi Leonard to stay once he becomes a free agent. While this may be difficult, it isn’t unheard of.

One example of this is Paul George re-signing with the Oklahoma Thunder despite numerous reports saying he was going to join the Lakers after his contract expired. The Raptors can potentially do the same with Kawhi Leonard. The question now is how?