Serge Ibaka on Kawhi Leonard's Free Agency: 'We Need Him To Stay'
A little more than six months ago, the thought around the league was that Kawhi Leonard would find his way out to Los Angeles, either by trade or his impending free agency this summer.
Leonard had reportedly grown tired of San Antonio, and especially the way they handled his quad injury, which forced him to miss all but nine games of the 2017–18 season.
A few weeks after the free agency period started last July, Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick.
Now that Leonard is enjoying a successful season in Toronto, where he is averaging a career-high 27.2 points, while leading the Raptors to near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, many are worried if he will sign a long-term deal with the team or explore his options.
That topic and more is explored in Chris Mannix's feature in this week's Sports Illustrated.
At least one player is worried about Leonard staying put.
“He keeps everybody safe—no one is safe if he leaves," said Raptors forward Serge Ibaka.
But no one knows what Leonard is thinking, not even Danny Green, who was included in the blockbuster trade.
“I get it from everyone in the organization," Green said. "It’s ‘How’s Kawhi, does he like it here?’ Man, I don’t f------ know. You have to ask him if he likes it. I think he likes it. But you have to ask him.”
