Contrary to reports from last offseason, Kawhi Leonard never considered playing for the Knicks during free agency.
According to the New York Post, while speaking with reporters in New York on Saturday, Leonard was asked about how strongly he considered the Knicks and he responded, “I never said I was considering going to the Knicks. Everybody knew where I wanted to go and that was requested in the trade, so I don’t know where that came from.’’
His response also implies Toronto did not have much of a shot at resigning the star forward either.
After winning the championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, Leonard left for the Los Angeles Clippers months later, leaving the hopes of the Lakers, Knicks and Raptors behind. The Lakers and Raptors have faired well without winning the Kawhi free agency, but the same can't be said for the Knicks who are 10-25 and sit at 14th in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks also lost out on securing either Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant or both. Durant and Irving both chose the Brooklyn Nets instead.
The Knicks will match up with Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers on Sunday. It will be the first of two matchups between the teams this season.