What the U.S. Media is saying about the Toronto Raptors including Kawhi to L.A.

Wonder what the U.S. Media is saying about the Toronto Raptors? We’ve compiled some of the best stories from the past week to examine how the Raptors are being talked about.

As the Toronto Raptors made their way out west to Los Angeles last week, the chatter about Kawhi Leonard signing with one of the two NBA teams in La La Land was bound to pick up. Rumours have been swirling since last season that he would want to return home to southern California once he becomes a free agent this summer.

The thinking has shifted slightly though. While much of the talking heads had him going to the Lakers to pair up with LeBron James before the season, that now seems like option B. The new thinking surmises that Leonard might not want to play sidekick to James and might not even want the hype that comes with playing in one of the big-name franchises in the NBA, specifically the Lakers.

Instead, the Clippers have jumped to the top of the list in the eyes of much US media. Pundits point to a few factors that eventually might be too much for Kawhi to refuse: cap space for, not one but, two big names, a well-coached Doc Rivers team that has some very nice complimentary pieces, proximity to home, and a dedicated, wealthy owner.

Toronto Raptor fans certainly believe that the Raptors have created the perfect scenario here: a dominant team in the Eastern Conference that can contend for years to come, a system in which Leonard has free rein and an extra $40 + million Leonard can’t get from signing with another team. Fans hope that a deep playoff run and exclusive bargaining rights all year-long will be enough to convince Leonard to re-sign with the only team north of the border.

Local

The L.A. Times makes the case that the Clippers are the perfect team for Leonard. He could integrate himself effortlessly into a disciplined, wewell-oiledachine that would become immediate contenders.

Th X-factor is current owner, former Microsoft chief, Steve Ballmer who is involved day-to-day. He wants to win, sources say, and he is willing to spend to do so.

"“Our fans can and should expect more than that,” he said. “That also should be attractive to players. You come here, you know we play to win every year, every year, every year.”"

National

The Bleacher Report posted a piece this week that asserts that Kawhi Leonard Has Been Focused on Home and L.A.

In what may be bad news for Raptor fans, they quote basketball insider Adrian Wojnarowski, who says that Leonard’s thinking on the matter has held and that, at this point, he is still focused on Los Angeles.

"“They can’t change the geography. They can’t change the weather in Toronto. Those were always be things against them in this,” said Adrian Wojnarowski. “Home and L.A. has been the focus for Kawhi Leonard through all of this.”"

Kawhi Leonard, for the record, has not said a thing about next year and contends that he is focused on winning this year. So, one obvious question would have to be “where is this coming from?” A reporter of The Woj’s ilk would not haphazardly put this kind of talk out there without having a reliable source. Who that source might be is the million dollar question.

ESPN’s podcast The Lowe Post continues with our theme of NBA free agency and where Kawhi Leonard might end up. Los Angeles has two teams with cap space this summer and Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski discuss where the big names might end up this year, names that include not only Leonard but also Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Jimmy Butler.

The consensus amongst the two seems to be that the Lakers are no higher than number three when it comes to Leonard’s choices, with the Clippers still being the most likely destination. They break down the hard recruitment that the Clippers have on for Leonard, including sending executives to a high number of Raptor games so far this year.

At the ten minute mark, the two also discuss whether the Raptors trade for Leonard was worth the risk. They admit that

"“if the Raptors make the Finals, it would be fascinating to see a player (referring to Leonard) willingly in his prime leave a team that made the Finals…”"

The Ringer, in The Raptors are Really For Real This Time, wonder if this year’s hot start from the Raptors really matters? Will having atop five, elite, two-way All Star be enough to get the franchise over their playoff hump?  Or will the playoffs end in the same disappointing way it has every year?

"Toronto is the NBA’s ultimate “wait until the playoffs” team. No matter what changes the Raptors make in July, or how well Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka perform in November and December, or how fervently they themselves believe that this is the year, the NBA-watching world at large mostly rolls its eyes and says, “We’ll believe it when we see it in May.” It’s hard to blame all those skeptics, because after several credible iterations of The Best Team in Raptors History, we still haven’t seen it."

Leonard’s impending free agency only further complicates matters. Can the Raptors keep on winning, throughout the regular season and into the playoffs? Raptor fans hope so. The U.S. media? They’re not sold on it, yet.

Power Rankings

ESPN has dropped the Raptors to number three on their Power Rankings this week after a couple of losses during their west coast road trip. Perhaps more importantly for Raptor fans is that two of the biggest movers on their list are Eastern conference teams who have caught fire as of late: the Celtics and the Pacers.

S.I. also made reference to the two losses this week as a reason to drop the Raptors down to the number two spot. Kyle Lowry’s injury and absence highlights his importance to the success of this team.