The competition to sign Kawhi Leonard was presented as one between the Toronto Raptors and his two hometown teams of the Lakers and Clippers.
After winning a championship with Kawhi in Toronto this season, Danny Green jumped ship to the Lakers in free agency. He doesn't believe free agent Leonard, who ended up on the Clippers, was ever really seriously considering the Lake Show.
"I think all of it was a shock to me," Green characterized the offseason. "Except not as much of a shock Kawhi going to L.A. The Clippers, anyway. I didn't see him coming this route [to the Lakers]. I feel like he wanted to go his own route. I think it was between them and going back. I think the year that he had and what those fans brought this season and everything it was hard for him to turn it down and leave Toronto. But I knew he wanted to be closer to home."
If that's the case, Leonard may have strategically weakened the Lakers by letting them believe they had a chance at him, thus missing out on other max-type free agents.
Given how calculated the Board Man has been this offseason, we wouldn't put that past him.