Jalen Rose Claims With 99 Percent Certainty That Kawhi Will Re-Sign With Raptors
By Sean Facey
We have yet another twist in the saga of Kawhi Leonard's free agency.
...Or do we?
Jalen Rose, whose NBA career included a stop in Toronto, was on ESPN today to reveal that he is almost entirely certain that Kawhi Leonard will be return to the Toronto on a two-year deal based on what he's heard from sources connected to the reigning Finals MVP's free agency.
Jalen Rose stated on ESPN just now he's 99% sure Kawhi Leonard is returning to Toronto on a 2-year deal, based on sources he's maintained contact with connected to Leonard's situation.
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) July 3, 2019
If this ends up the case, it's catastrophic news for both the Clippers and Lakers, who have practically staked this entire free agent cycle on luring Leonard away from the defending champs. Plan B and plan C aren't very attractive if and when plan A falls through.
Rose's bold claim comes in wake of reports that Leonard met individually with LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Jeanie Buss as he gauges whether or not he wants to join the Lakers.
Had an agent tell me to “forget all the noise Kawhi is heading back to Toronto “....we gon see
— MarkJonesESPN (@MarkJonesESPN) July 3, 2019
Raptors fans certainly would love to see Leonard return. They're so invested in his decision that local news stations literally have live coverage of the building in which he met with representatives from the team, including front office boss Masai Ujiri.
There’s a lineup outside of the hotel where Kawhi Leonard will reportedly meet the Raptors for his free agency meeting in Toronto. ??
— theScore (@theScore) July 3, 2019
(?: @GregRoss17) pic.twitter.com/zYAtQGKPtc
It'll be a momentous occasion whenever he announces his free agency decision. The futures of multiple teams -- indeed, the league itself -- hangs in the balance.