Report: Lakers believe they are firmly in lead for Kawhi Leonard

The free agent news surrounding Kawhi Leonard has been quiet, but one reporter says the Los Angeles Lakers believe they are in the lead for the reigning NBA Finals MVP.

The New York Times’ Marc Stein continues to report that the Lakers remain confident in their pursuit of Leonard. He said on Tuesday that they believe they are in the lead, largely thanks to assurances and recruiting efforts from Magic Johnson and LeBron James.

What we know:

1. The Lakers, as we've been saying for more than a week now, believe they are firmly in the lead largely through the recruiting efforts and assurances made on separate fronts from Magic Johnson and LeBron James …

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 2, 2019

Johnson already detailed what was discussed in his conversation with Leonard, which reportedly had to do with the status and drama of the front office. Leonard also reportedly wanted information about whether he could bring his own medical staff in. With LeBron, he might want assurances about roles and who the lead player will be, considering there would be three stars on the team and Leonard just proved himself to arguably be the best player in the league.

Although the Lakers seem to have some informational leaks, it’s clear that Leonard’s camp wanted everyone keeping quiet, which seems to be why there have not been any leaks from the Clippers or Raptors. A separate report stated that despite the Lakers’ confidence, they are not ahead of the Clippers or Raptors.