Toronto Raptors

Kawhi Leonard is one of the most enigmatic athletes in the world right now, so it's no surprise there aren't any hints about his plans for free agency leading up to the Toronto Raptors' appearance in the 2019 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. 

Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri told reporters Wednesday his conversations with Leonard have been about the Finals: "The future conversations I've had with Kawhi are about the Golden State Warriors. His focus is on what is in front of him. That's his mindset.”

It would be normal for Leonard to at least consider the possibility of what awaits him this summer, assuming he opts out of the final year of his deal worth $21.3 million next season.

Per Jordan Greer of NBA.com, Leonard can re-sign with the Raptors for five years and $190 million or sign with another team for four years and $141 million. 

Even though Kawhi led Toronto to its first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals, odds still point to his leaving the franchise when free agency begins June 30:

As soon as the Raptors acquired Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs last July, Sean Deveney of Sporting News reported the three-time All-Star had "no interest" in remaining with Toronto long-term. 

A lot of things have changed in the 10 months since the deal, not least of which is Toronto's Eastern Conference title. That doesn't guarantee Leonard will remain with the team, but at least Ujiri will be able to negotiate from a position of strength. 

For now, though, Leonard will attempt to lead the Raptors to a championship starting Thursday, when Toronto hosts the Warriors at Scotiabank Arena in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. 

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan never made the NBA Finals as Toronto Raptors teammates, and DeRozan was traded to the San Antonio Spurs this offseason in the move that landed the Raptors Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.

But Lowry told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that DeRozan has remained in contact with him and has sent his congratulations to his former teammates as they embark on an NBA Finals matchup against the Golden State Warriors. 

"I've been speaking to him the whole way," Lowry said. "One thing about him is that he legit cares about me as his best friend. He has texted everyone he has a relationship with and let them know how happy he is for us."

Lowry said he always treated DeRozan's trade as a business decision and felt the need to prove to people he could still be professional and a top player without him:

"It was always still going to be a business. But I was like, 'Look, if you're going to be here, just buy in and do what you need to do to help the team win.' And that means a lot. I was bought-in from the [beginning]. But I kind of really shelled off. I was going to come in here and prove a point. People didn't think I could be the same player that I was."

While Lowry's scoring (14.2 ppg) dipped for a second straight season, he excelled as a playmaker (8.7 apg) and defensive bulldog from his point guard position. And he was fantastic for the Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals, averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

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He'll need to continue that trend against the Warriors. While Leonard has performed like the league's best two-way superstar in the postseason (31.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.6 spg), the Raptors at times have struggled to get a second scorer going in these playoffs. If Lowry can consistently be that player, Toronto will be dangerous. 

The Raptors will challenge the Warriors with lockdown defense and with Leonard's heroics. But Lowry is likely the key to the series, as he'll be tasked with slowing players like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson defensively while providing scoring and playmaking offensively.

When he's clicking, the Raptors are dangerous. With or without DeRozan.

Kawhi Leonard has been putting on a show all postseason, leading Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers to compare him to Michael Jordan Tuesday on SportsCenter: 

"He is the most like Jordan that we've seen," Rivers said of the Toronto Raptors star. "... Not that he is Jordan or anything like that, but he's the most like him. Big hands, post game, can finish, great leaper, great defender, in-between game, if you beat him to the spot he bumps you off and then you add his three-point shooting."

The 27-year-old has been on a tear lately, averaging 31.2 points per game in 18 postseason contests. His efficiency has been especially impressive, shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three-point range in this stretch.

Although it's hard to compete with Jordan and his 33.4 career points per game in the playoffs, Leonard has certainly made a similar impact for his team while leading the Raptors to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history.

While the praise is nice, Rivers has to be careful commenting on Kawhi before he hits free agency in the offseason because of the NBA's tampering rules.

Leonard has a $21.3 million player option for 2019-20 that he is expected to decline.

According to Caesars Palace, the Clippers are currently the odds-on favorites to land the forward this summer:

Rivers likely knows his team will be in contention for the player's services and will hope he can use this praise to sway the player to return home to Southern California.

Unfortunately, the league has been trying to crack down on tampering with players, coaches and executives commenting on other stars around the NBA.

The league sent a memo to all teams in December, reminding everyone that "employment contracts are to be respected," per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Former Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson—who was also praising Leonard on the show with Rivers—was fined multiple times for tampering based on his public comments.

Rivers could also face punishment, but it might be worth it if he can land the three-time All-Star in free agency.

As the Toronto Raptors prepare for the 2019 NBA Finals, they face the possibility that it could be the final series Kawhi Leonard plays in a Raptors uniform.

The Los Angeles Clippers are currently heavy favorites to land Leonard in free agency this summer, according to Caesars Palace:

The three-time All-Star has a $21.3 million player option for the 2019-20 campaign.

Toronto acquired Leonard last offseason knowing that it was possible Leonard could be one-and-done in the Six. Still, president Masai Ujiri decided it worth trading a package centered around DeMar DeRozan for Leonard and Danny Green.

It's hard to argue with the results.

The Raptors (58-24) finished with the second-best record in basketball during the regular season and have made it to the Finals for the first time in franchise history—and Leonard has played a pivotal role in the team's success.

After averaging a career-high 26.6 points per game during the regular season, Leonard has taken his game to another level during the postseason. The 2014 Finals MVP is averaging 31.2 ppg on 50.7 percent shooting this postseason:

Leonard's incredible performance helped Toronto rally from an 0-2 hole in the Eastern Conference Finals against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and set up a showdown with the two-time defending champs.

But with just one series remaining, Leonard's impending free agency will continue to be a storyline.

When Leonard was traded to Toronto, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reported that the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year had "no interest" in playing for the Raptors. Meanwhile, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Southern California native had been hoping to land in Los Angeles, either with the Lakers or the Clippers.

Leonard has not given any indication what he might do should he opt for free agency this summer. However, Wojnarowski revealed on The Woj Pod (h/t Real GM) earlier this month that Toronto is a "serious consideration now."

It's worth noting Toronto can offer Leonard for money than any other team. The Raptors can offer him a five-year, $190 million this summer while opposing teams are limited to four years and $141 million, per Wojnarowski.

Raptors coach Nick Nurse revealed back in January, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com, that Leonard made it clear to him that his top priority is winning. Getting to the Finals is a strong selling point, and now the team will have the opportunity to make an overwhelming recruiting pitch against the Warriors.

Patrick McCaw will get a chance to take on his former team when the Toronto Raptors face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

"It's going to be crazy, just the first game lining up against them," McCaw said of the Warriors, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

The guard spent his first two seasons in the NBA with Golden State, winning a title in each season. He saw significant minutes off the bench throughout the run, appearing in 21 total playoff games while averaging 3.1 points per game.

Despite his success with the Warriors, he forced his way off the team as a restricted free agent by signing an offer sheet with the Cleveland Cavaliers and eventually getting waived. He latched on with the Raptors, where he spent the past five months as a reserve off the bench.

Now he will meet up with the Warriors and a bunch of players he hasn't kept in touch with over the past year.

"I haven't played against them all season," McCaw said. "I haven't been there with them since we won in Cleveland. The last time I saw them, I was playing with the Warriors. The first game? A lot of emotions. I'm ready for it. I'm excited."

His last game with Golden State was in last year's Finals, playing three minutes in the clinching Game 4 blowout.

With the way he left the organization, however, there might not be too many open arms when he returns to Oakland.

Of course, McCaw will first hope he can earn more playing time after sitting out the entire Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. He has played just 36 minutes across seven games this postseason, scoring two total points.

Drake apparently spared no expense celebrating the Toronto Raptors' Eastern Conference championship.

According to TMZ, Drake flew to the Bahamas on Sunday in his private jet, aptly named "Air Drake."

The Raptors wrapped up the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, which leaves the rap star with enough time for a quick vacation before the NBA Finals get underway Thursday. Toronto has home-court advantage and will host the Golden State Warriors in Game 1.

Drake has been a fixture on the sideline at Scotiabank Arena during the playoffs.

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If the Raptors go on to upset the Warriors in the Finals, then maybe Drake can treat the entire team to a vacation and fly the players down on his jet.

He unveiled the plane in an Instagram post. People's Tim McGovern noted a Boeing 767-300F—the model of the jet—can cost around $185 million.

Toronto clearly knows who to call when it comes time to make its free-agent pitch for Kawhi Leonard should Leonard opt out of his contract this summer.

Toronto Raptors guard Danny Green has struggled with his shooting in the postseason, hitting just 32.4 percent of his shots and 31.4 percent of his threes. 

But as he told reporters on Monday, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com, he isn't going to become gun shy with the Raptors in the NBA Finals:

"Just keep shooting. Don't think about it. And it's hard not to think about it because everybody in the world's telling you don't think about it, [and] everybody you come across [is telling you] keep shooting it.

"People text me to 'don't think about it.' I know that. ... I'm not second-guessing myself. But just keep shooting, don't think about it and try to block out the noise from the media, your inbox, and everybody else that tells you not to think about it."

Green, 31, had an excellent season, shooting 46.5 percent from the field (the second highest mark of his career) and 45.5 percent from three, a career best. He averaged 10.3 points per game, his highest mark since the 2014-15 season, and his two-way game made him an incredibly valuable piece for the Raptors.

But Green has gotten progressively worse from the perimeter this postseason.

Against Orlando in the first round, he shot 31.8 percent from three, averaging 5.6 attempts per game. Against the Philadelphia Sixers, that dropped to 31.5 percent and five attempts per contest. And he was ice cold against Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference Finals, shooting just 15.3 percent from deep on only 3.8 threes per game.

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In Toronto's four wins in the series, Green shot an abysmal 1-of-15 from deep. But his teammates and coaches aren't expecting those struggles to last.

"I think it's a new series for Danny," Kyle Lowry said. "I think that series happened a certain way. It's over with now. I don't think that even matters. I don't think anything that happened the last series matters, besides us finding ways to win games. That's what we take from that series. Danny will be fine. Game 1, he'll be ready to go."

And Green remains a solid perimeter defender, a fact that should help against the Golden State Warriors' elite backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

If the Raptors are to upset the two-time defending champs, they'll need players like Green, Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka to have strong performances. Kawhi Leonard is having a historic postseason, but he can't beat the Warriors alone. 

The Raptors simply can't afford Green to remain a liability on offense.

Free-agency and draft talk somehow permeates into NBA conversation every day, even when the playoffs are in their final stretch. 

The 2018-19 season is no exception, with the latest example involving Miesha Slayton, the sister of Toronto Raptors star forward Kawhi Leonard, shooting down speculation that Leonard's uncle Dennis Robertson shouted "They know darn well he ain't gonna be there next year" during an Instagram Live video (h/t Andrew Joseph of For the Win):

Slayton took to Instagram to address the speculation regarding her brother, who can turn down a player option and become a free agent this offseason.

"No more live videos for me," Slayton wrote. "I got haters all around me. Yall hear someone HATIN in the background and run with it smh. Go Raptors!"

Robertson "is Leonard's primary career and business strategist" per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Naturally, he could have a big influence on where Leonard winds up.

Perhaps Leonard does leave Toronto after the season, but any speculation regarding the anonymous voice seems unfounded. What we do know is that Rob Perez of The Action Network can reset his counter, which marks how many days have passed without the NBA being unnecessarily dramatic:

As for now, Leonard and the Raptors will play the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, which begin Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.

Kawhi Leonard continues to attract attention after leading the Toronto Raptors to the NBA Finals, and his uncle, Dennis Robertson, is proud of what his family member has achieved.

"Making it to the Finals is a big deal," Robertson told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. "This is a team that has never been to the Finals and we're happy about that. It feels good with what we went through last year. ... What he accomplished was amazing. That's what stars do. How he's handled everything on and off the court is well deserved."

Robertson is Leonard's career and business strategist, and he took the opportunity to speak for the All-Star Sunday on a variety of issues.

Among the more interesting topics was Leonard's falling out with the San Antonio Spurs, which led to him being traded to the Raptors in the offseason. The forward had only played nine games the previous season because of a thigh injury, but the Spurs medical staff seemed to disagree with the diagnosis.

Robertson noted this was the major issue between the two sides:

"I think it just became a lack of trust. They didn't believe Kawhi couldn't play and that caused a lack of trust in us and then us not believing in them. Any time a player says he's not capable of playing, you should believe him. Why would Kawhi just stop playing all of a sudden? He's a competitor. Sometimes you get these team doctors telling you what you can and cannot do, and Kawhi was just in too much pain to get out there. This was a serious issue. They didn't believe him, and after that, the relationship couldn't recover and we decided we had to move on."

The Raptors were the beneficiaries, landing a superstar who was able to lift the team to the NBA Finals. Leonard has averaged 31.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in the playoffs so far, including a dominant effort in the series-clinching Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks when he scored 27 points with 17 rebounds and seven assists.

Adding in his clutch shots throughout the past three rounds, he has been everything the team dreamed of coming into the year.

"He's the best player in the league, and we're happy he's in Toronto," team president Masai Ujiri said after Saturday's win, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

There remains a major question about whether he will stay with the organization this offseason or leave in free agency, but that's apparently not on the player's mind.

"We're not thinking about free agency; it's the Warriors [right now]," Robertson added. "Once we get through the season, we'll turn our attention to free agency. But we're just having fun right now. This has been a great year."

Even if he does find a new destination in free agency, Toronto shouldn't be too disappointed considering his contributions from this postseason.

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse will keep himself busy once his team's run to the NBA Finals draws to a close.

According to the Canadian Press' Lori Ewing and TSN 690 Montreal's Peter Yannopoulos, Nurse will coach Canada at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which tips off Aug. 31 in China.

The New York Times' Marc Stein reported that Canada Basketball has been pursuing Nurse since before the start of the 2019 postseason.

On Saturday night, Nurse helped deliver the first Eastern Conference championship in Raptors history. Down 0-2 to open the series, Toronto rallied to win four straight games and eliminate the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.

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Previously an assistant under Dwane Casey, Nurse led Toronto to a 58-24 record in his first year, which was the second-best mark in the East.

Unfortunately for Nurse, he can't take Kawhi Leonard with him to China to represent Canada.

The Canadians are looking for their first medal at the World Cup, and they didn't qualify whatsoever for the most recent edition in 2014.

With Andrew Wiggins, Tristan Thompson, Jamal Murray and RJ Barrett among those eligible to suit up, Nurse will have a handful of players with NBA experience upon which he can rely. However, Canada will have to navigate a difficult Group H.

Sitting 23rd in the FIBA rankings, Canada will have to finish ahead of Lithuania (No. 6) or Australia (No. 11) in order to move on to the second round.