Toronto Raptors

President Donald Trump has not decided whether he will invite the 2018-19 NBA champion Toronto Raptors to the White House to celebrate their historic season, but if he does, don't expect the team to make the trip.

"I just don't think that we accept," Green said on Yahoo Sports' Inside the Green Room of a potential invitation from President Trump. "... I try to respect everybody in every field that they do regardless of how crazy the things are—but he makes it really hard. He makes it very, very tough to respect how he goes about things and does things. To put it politely, I think it's a hard no."

After Toronto dethroned the Golden State Warriors in six games in the 2019 NBA Finals earlier this month, Trump was asked if he would invite the Canadian-based team. At that point, he said that he hadn't thought about it.

"We thought about that. That's an interesting question," Trump said, according to USA Today's Matt Eppers. "... That was a great job by a great team, so we'll think about that. If they'd like to do it, we'll think about that."

Visiting the White House following a championship had been a tradition under previous administrations. However, no NBA team has visited since Trump assumed office in 2017.

Both the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors and the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers made it clear through the years that they had no interest in visiting the White House while Trump was in office. That led Trump to "rescind" an invitation to the Warriors in 2017, a move that united Curry and James:

Green even said that his response would cause President Trump to "take his invite back" if he does indeed put an offer on the table.

In a rather unique approach, Toronto Mayor John Tory has asked Raptors fans to give Kawhi Leonard space to make a decision about his future.

In a press conference, Tory, along with Raptors fan Nav Bhatia, pleaded with people in the city to let the NBA Finals MVP enjoy his downtime as he waits for free agency to begin.

As part of their plan to give Leonard space, Tory and Bhatia created the KawhiUShouldStay.com website. It allows fans to sign a petition and leave the three-time All-Star a message without harassing him in public. 

Leonard appears to be savoring the sights and sounds of Toronto in the wake of the Raptors' victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. He praised many aspects of Canada during the team's championship parade Monday.

"It was a good experience, experiencing Mother Nature, all four seasons," he told reporters. "Man, it was a great experience. Everybody off the court was great. The fans, just meeting people in Canada. It's been fun."

Home fans greeted Leonard with a standing ovation when he showed up at the Rogers Centre to watch the Toronto Blue Jays take on the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.

If it wasn't apparent enough that Toronto wanted Leonard back, a request from the mayor for citizens to let the superstar enjoy his time off says it all.

The Toronto Raptors will continue their NBA championship celebration with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but it's unclear if a visit with U.S. President Donald Trump is in the cards.

In an appearance on SportsNet 590 on Wednesday, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said they are already working on scheduling a visit with Trudeau.

"Definitely the Trudeau meeting, because they've been asking me about scheduling it," he said. "I've heard nothing about the White House. We're Canada's team anyway, right?"

The Raptors are the first team from Canada to win a championship in one of North America's four major professional sports since the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series and the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in 1993.

Nurse emphasized his desire to celebrate the Raptors' title in their home country: "Let's go see Trudeau up in Ottawa. ... We're Canada's team."

In lieu of visiting Trump at the White House the previous two years, members of the Golden State Warriors spent a day with children at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., in February 2018 and met with former President Barack Obama in January.

An NBA champion hasn't visited the White House since the Cleveland Cavaliers met with Obama in November 2016.

The Raptors won their first title by defeating the Warriors in six games in the NBA Finals.

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is here to vouch for Kawhi Leonard as a fun guy.

Appearing on The Lowe Post podcast with ESPN's Zach Lowe on Tuesday, Nurse labeled Leonard as "the funniest guy" (h/t Vivek Jacob of Yahoo Canada Sports): 

"I think this thing about him not saying things and being so quiet is almost played out. He was unbelievable yesterday at the parade [with his] speech, absolutely stole the show. He does that constantly. He's the funniest guy in the film room because he waits and delivers the knockout punch line. 

"He's coachable, he talks to me a lot during the games about the games, in the huddles, in the film room—he talks a lot, we've probably misread him a bit in that way."

At the Raptors' first-ever championship parade Monday, Leonard mocked his own laugh that went viral at Toronto's media day ahead of the season:

Perhaps Nurse's best evidence was this story: As the 51-year-old first-year head coach was trying to convey a teaching moment to Toronto following a Game 5 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals by comparing his current team's situation to his former D-League team, Leonard interrupted. 

"In the D-League?" the two-time NBA Finals MVP said. "I'm done listening to this story."

Leonard's historic performance throughout the 2019 postseason solidified him as one of the league's biggest stars. Anytime he does talk from now on, everybody will be listening. 

Toronto Raptors shooting guard Danny Green answered "2019, for sure" when TMZ Sports asked whether his NBA championship this season was "better" than his 2014 title victory with the San Antonio Spurs.

The 2018-19 Raptors and 2013-14 Spurs both beat back-to-back defending champions in the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat, respectively. Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard, who played in San Antonio for seven seasons, also won the NBA Finals MVP both years.

The 2019 title has some advantages over the 2014 one.

For starters, Green just took part in a parade that at least two million people attended, per comments that Toronto chief communications officer Brad Ross made to Laura Hensley of Global News.

Furthermore, Toronto enjoyed its first-ever championship, while San Antonio won its fifth in 16 years. The road to the title was also far more dramatic this time around, with the Raptors needing six or seven games in the final three rounds to defeat their opponents.

After a seven-game series win against the Dallas Mavericks, the 2013-14 Spurs went 12-4 en route to a fairly comfortable championship run—though they did have a tough six-game set against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

Regardless of Green's feelings on the topic, he said "it would be great" to play with Leonard again. Both players are entering free agency this offseason. 

Green, who once held the record for most three-pointers made in an NBA Finals (27), played in San Antonio from 2010 to 2018 after suiting up for the Cleveland Cavaliers during his 2009-10 rookie season. He's never been on a team that has missed the playoffs or won fewer than 47 games.

While most of the focus has been on Kawhi Leonard's future in Toronto, the man who came to the Raptors with him seems ready to re-sign.

Danny Green appeared on The Breakfast Club on Wednesday and said he hopes to return to Toronto next season.

"I don't know what's going to happen. I would like to be back in Toronto and hopefully get everybody to run it back again. When you have a group like that, it's special," Green said. 

Green, a New York native, also mentioned that he would prefer signing with the Brooklyn Nets over the Knicks if he were to return home and leave Toronto.

"As of right now, probably in Brooklyn," Green said when asked to choose between the two. "I know some of the guys there. Sean Marks was a Spurs guy...it seems like they're doing pretty well. They're a playoff team. Things are going well for them right now. Both teams have a lot of room for growth. They gotta move in the right direction soon."

Green, who turns 32 this month, added interest from the Lakers would be "great," but his focus is on signing in Toronto. He averaged 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists and shot 45.5 percent from three after coming over with Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs last summer. Leonard is also an unrestricted free agent, which Green admits could alter his plans.

"I think his decision changes a lot of things for a lot of people, not just myself," Green said. "It also might change a lot of decisions for the front office. They might be like, 'You know what? We might want to change the whole thing.' Start over, stay young and start fresh."

Green's point is a good one. If Leonard leaves, the overwhelming odds are the Raptors will begin a rebuild. That could mean trading Kyle Lowry and would certainly mean the exploration of moving off veterans on the roster. Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has never been one to be overly satisfied with the status quo, so Leonard essentially holds the future of the franchise in his hands.

Green, meanwhile, would have no shortage of suitors if he chose to move on. His combination of three-point shooting, playoff experience and defense is worth whatever premium he'll command on the open market. 

A deputy in the Alameda County Sheriff's Office is considering filing a lawsuit against Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri after an altercation on the court following the team's title-clinching win last week, per the Associated Press (via CBC).

Attorney David Mastagni said Tuesday the police officer suffered a concussion and a jaw injury and is currently on medical leave.

"The officer is off work, disabled and wants to go back to work," Mastagni said.

According to the sheriff's office, Ujiri struck the deputy in the face after being asked about his credentials, per Kristofer Noceda and Gonzalo Rojas of NBC Bay Area. They are investigating the incident as a misdemeanor battery on an officer.

Noceda posted video of the end of the altercation, which shows the officer being held back and Ujiri eventually heading onto the court:

Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said the office is planning to question witnesses about the incident, but at least one witness has disputed the entire claim:

The name of the officer has not been released to the public.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski does not believe a Big Three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard with the Los Angeles Lakers is a likely scenario entering the 2019 offseason.

Appearing Tuesday on Get Up, Wojnarowski reported that Leonard's decision in free agency will probably come down to re-signing with the Toronto Raptors or joining the Los Angeles Clippers:

"The reality is Kawhi Leonard's focused on Los Angeles, but it's the Clippers, not the Lakers. No. 1, they don't have the money to sign him. And two, the idea of him being a third wheel on a team trying to create a superteam, that has not been Kawhi's M.O. The Clippers are poised to be able to lure him from Toronto. This will be a Raptors-Clippers fight down to the end. He may take meetings with more teams; it's not even certain he'd even take a meeting with the Lakers right now."

Leonard led the Raptors to their first NBA championship in team history and was named the 2019 NBA Finals MVP in Toronto's 4-2 series win over the Golden State Warriors.

The 27-year-old is a Riverside, California, native who has long been linked to a move to L.A. The Lakers are already viewed as a top title contender after reportedly acquiring Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans to play alongside James and Kyle Kuzma, but Leonard would make them the unquestioned favorite.

Even so, reports have placed the Clippers much higher on Leonard's list than the Lakers for the past several months.

During the NBA Finals, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported that the Clippers "feel confident" Leonard will listen to their pitch in free agency, but they also have concerns that he will remain with the Raptors. Now that Kawhi has won a championship in Toronto, the odds of re-signing may be even greater.

When taking the Raptors, Clippers and Lakers into consideration, it can be argued that the Lakers give Leonard the best chance to win a title next season and the Raptors give him the best opportunity to be the face of the franchise—and Toronto offers the best of both worlds.

Not only has Leonard already won it all in Toronto, but he is also the go-to guy on a strong team that is returning the likes of Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet.

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If Leonard does sign with the Clippers, it could have something to do with the allure of wanting to lead another team to its first championship. The difference between the Raptors and Clippers is that Kawhi would be heralded as a hometown hero if he does it in L.A.

Despite lacking a superstar, the Clippers took the Warriors to six games in the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs. Adding Kawhi to a roster that already includes Lou Williams, Danilo Gallinari, Montrezl Harrell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would make the Clippers a major threat in the Western Conference, especially since the Warriors may be without both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson next season.

The Lakers would have a true superteam if they were to sign Leonard, but Wojnarowski noted that they may look to fill out the rosters with some much-needed shooters instead. He specifically mentioned Seth Curry, Danny Green and JJ Redick as possible targets.

A Lakers team with James, Davis, Leonard and Kuzma would be tough to beat, but since they severely lack depth and shooting ability, missing out on Kawhi may not be such a bad thing for the organization.

With NBA free agency less than two weeks away, Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard has not offered much insight into his plans. He has, however, said he will take time to make the best decision. 

"I'm going to take the right time," Leonard said Monday, per the Associated Press' Ian Harrison. "You don't need too many days to figure it out. We'll see what happens. Once that time comes, then we'll all lay the pros and cons out."

Leonard added he hasn't shifted his focus to his potential free agency.

"I'm enjoying this," he said of the Raptors' championship parade, per Harrison. "It's not time to stress, it's still time to have some fun. I've just been enjoying my experience."

The 27-year-old holds a $21.3 million player option for 2019-20.

When Leonard requested a trade from the San Antonio Spurs last offseason, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Southern California native wanted to land with one of the Los Angeles clubs. While the Spurs sent him to Toronto, he has continued to be heavily linked to the Clippers.

But the Raptors can't be ruled out.

Leonard had the best season of his career in his first year in Canada, averaging a career-high 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He elevated his game even further during the postseason, recording 30.5 points per contest while leading the Raptors to their first championship.

Sean Deveney of Sporting News reported at the time of last year's trade that Leonard had "no interest" in playing in Toronto. On Monday, though, the two-time NBA Finals MVP revealed it worked out off the court as well as on.

"It was a good experience, experiencing Mother Nature, all four seasons," Leonard said, per Harrison. "Man, it was a great experience. Everybody off the court was great. The fans, just meeting people in Canada. It's been fun."

Speaking of the fans, Raptors supporters urged Leonard to re-sign with the team, with the help of All-Star Kyle Lowry:

Toronto can offer Leonard more money than any other team: $190 million over five years. Opposing teams can only offer him four years and $141 million.

Kawhi Leonard's first (and perhaps only) season with the Toronto Raptors has come full circle.

The NBA Finals MVP addressed the crowd Monday during the team's championship parade and recreated his famous laugh that went viral:

Toronto traded for Leonard in July even though there were questions about his health and how long he would stay north of the border. He played only nine games the previous season with the San Antonio Spurs and has a player option for the 2019-20 campaign.

That didn't stop him from leading the Raptors through the Eastern Conference playoffs and to a six-game victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. 

Leonard also tried to convince Raptors fans he was a "fun guy" before the season started:

Whether he leaves the Raptors this summer or chooses to re-sign, Leonard provided Toronto with a championship and a memorable laugh the city won't forget.