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The Los Angeles Lakers are not ready to give up in their quest for San Antonio star Spurs Kawhi Leonard.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne reported early Wednesday that Los Angeles is lobbying to trade for Leonard before Friday, when LeBron James must decide he agrees to his $ 35.6 million player option or become a free agent. Wednesday evening, Shelburne reported the Lakers "Re-engaged the Spurs Wednesday in the aggressive pursuit "Leonard.
"It's the first contact between the teams since the Spurs closed the door after a first call", Added Shelburne.
Yahoo Sports & # 39; Shams Charania reported earlier this month that Leonard wants to get out of San Antonio because of the "mistrust" that has formed of how the organization handled his quad injury last season. He was limited to just nine regular season games in 2017-18 and is retired from the playoffs.
Wojnarowski followed by noting the native of Los Angeles wants to play in his hometown, preferably for the Lakers.
The Lakers are considered one of the favorites to land James when he chose to become a free agent. However, the NBA's MVP four times may not be willing to make the move to Tinseltown alone. ESPN reported Wednesday that Paul George is no longer considered a lock to leave Oklahoma City Thunder, which means the Lakers might not be able to wait until next summer. for Leonard – who can withdraw from his contract in 2019 sign with them.
Magic Johnson Lakers' president, Magic Johnson, said on Tuesday that he would resign if the Lakers did not acquire a free agent over the next two summers, by Bleacher Report Eric Pincus. An exchange for a star would suffice too.
We do not know if San Antonio would trade the double All-Star in Los Angeles. Aaccording to Sam Amick of USA todaySan Antonio does not want to exchange Leonard in the Western Conference. However, if the NBA defensive double player of the year makes it clear that he will not sign a long-term contract with another team, the return package will likely be limited, which means that the Lakers will be in able to put the best offer on the table.
The Spurs do not have to rush to close a deal because they could potentially wait until the trading deadline in February before releasing the trigger. On the other hand, the Lakers seem to be feeling pressure to find a way to lure James or George (or both) to Los Angeles. If San Antonio is ready to listen, the next two days could do a lot to dictate how the free agency plays.
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