Report: Lakers not ahead of Clippers, Raptors in Kawhi Leonard chase

Kawhi Leonard appears to have narrowed his decision down to three teams, but one report says rumblings that the Los Angeles Lakers are the frontrunner are inaccurate.

Cris Carter of FOX Sports 1, who has claimed to have sources connected to Leonard dating back to before the San Antonio Spurs traded the three-time All-Star, reported on Tuesday that Leonard has not yet made a decision. He also said it is wrong to think the Lakers have the edge over the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers.

Kawhi update: I’ve just been informed Kawhi has not made a decision. To think the Lakers are ahead of the Clippers or the Raptors would be wrong #KawhiUpdate

— Cris Carter (@criscarter80) July 2, 2019

Leonard’s announcement is not expected to come until later in the week, so it wouldn’t make much sense for him to wait if he had already made up his mind. There were several reports that he wanted to play for the Lakers before they signed LeBron James last summer, and perhaps he is weighing that desire against the idea of being teammates with LeBron.

If the questions Leonard asked Magic Johnson are any indication, the Lakers are certainly in the hunt. However, signing with the Clippers would give Leonard an opportunity to be the clear-cut No. 1 while still playing in LA. And the Raptors, of course, are already his team and would be the favorites in the Eastern Conference if Leonard re-signed. You can understand why the decision is a difficult one.