Kawhi Leonard may now be an even bigger free agency story than Kevin Durant with the way he has carried the Toronto Raptors to the NBA Finals, but he remains adamant that he is not thinking about anything beyond trying to beat the Golden State Warriors.
In an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols this week, Leonard was asked if he has begun weighing his options and thinking about what he might want when he opts out of the final year of his contract this summer. He said he is not letting that take away from his focus.
"I’m not even thinking about signing or what team I’ma go to …"
Kawhi Leonard tells @Rachel__Nichols that he's focused on the Finals, not free agency. pic.twitter.com/Kd4WuNMJ1A
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 7, 2019
“Not now. I mean, obviously you know what you want, but I’m not thinking, ‘Just because of this and this, I’m gonna re-sign,'” Leonard explained. “I’m not really thinking about re-signing or what team I’m gonna go to in free agency or none of that. I’m just focused on what’s in front of me right now. Once it’s over, then I’ll revisit everything.”
When the Raptors first acquired Leonard, it was widely assumed that he would be a one-year rental. Considering he has led the franchise to its first ever NBA Finals appearance, the deal was worth it whether he leaves or not. However, there have been some strong hints that he could be considering playing at least one more season in Toronto.
Leonard has also made it clear that he appreciates the way the Raptors have handled his injury situation, and that could factor into his decision as well. It won’t be long before we have an answer.
