It has been well talked about that Kawhi Leonard would opt-out of his contract with the Clippers this summer, then re-sign with them for the max (either on a short-term deal or for the full five years).
Now, it seems that him returning to the Clippers isn’t for sure as it once was as multiple teams think they actually have a shot at getting him.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks are going to do “everything they can” to land Leonard if he becomes an unrestricted free agent. They won’t be the only ones as the Miami Heat and New York Knicks may also get in the mix.
“The Mavs will try to do everything they can to get Kawhi Leonard,” wrote Stein, via Twitter. “The Knicks and the Heat will try as well. The situation with Kawhi is no longer a safe assumption he’s staying with the Clippers.”
Leonard may be out for most of next season as he is recovering from his partially torn ACL. Kawhi had a very successful 2021 post-season where the 2x Finals MVP averaged 30.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.4 APG, 2.1 SPG, and 0.8 BPG on a 57.3% shooting from the field and 39.3% from the 3-point line.
