Last week, Las Vegas odds changed in the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes: the Toronto Raptors became the favorite (tied with San Antonio) to have Kawhi on the roster next season. It seems this is a thing that very well could happen. One of the NBA's most plugged-in reporters, Brian Windhorst, believes the Raptors are now "in the driver's seat."
Windy appeared on Zach Lowe's podcast, The Lowe Post, on Monday, and shared his opinion on the status of negotiations around the league.
"The Toronto Raptors, I think they're in the driver's seat for Kawhi," Windhorst shared. "Because I think the Lakers have given up. I think the Sixers have given up, and with the Nets, Bulls, and Hawks spending their cap space, it makes it harder to assemble a multi-team trade. I think the Raptors are in the driver's seat, and I'd want to know, what would your offer be if you were (Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri)?"
Lowe responded that if he were running the Raptors, he would offer DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam, and at least one first-round pick. He echoed Windhorst's theory that the Raptors are indeed a contender to land Kawhi.
"I will say, I've seen a lot of snark on Twitter that the Raptors stuff is a joke," Lowe said. "It may not happen. Most NBA trades do not happen. But if you think it's a joke, you should probably recalibrate your expectations."
The Lakers emerged as the early frontrunner, but it was reported that the Spurs were looking for a massive return—essentially all of L.A.'s young core.
