As the Los Angeles Lakers were preparing to go star chasing in 2018 NBA Free Agency, the saga between Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs was taking on several twists. Upon signing LeBron James to a four-year contract, the Lakers were expected to make an aggressive effort at trading for Leonard.
He would give the team a second All-Star to pair with James, which was speculated as being more of a necessity than the young core. Further supporting the possibility was a belief Leonard had a preference to joining the Lakers or L.A. Clippers.
But the Spurs refused to do business with their longtime Western Conference rival, and ultimately traded Leonard to the Toronto Raptors.