Kawhi Leonard has attracted a band of roadies.
The Toronto Raptors believe they’ve spotted Los Angeles Clippers officials at roughly 75 percent of their games this season, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Leonard will be a free agent after this season, and the Clippers are believed to be among the teams most interested in his services. Although NBA teams often track players for months leading up their official recruiting efforts, the Clippers’ monitoring of Leonard is extraordinary.
“But even by these modern standards, the Clippers’ pursuit is still a little revolutionary,” Windhorst writes. “Raptors officials have noticed a Clippers employee at roughly 75 percent of the team’s games thus far this season. Clippers officials say they’ve been at less than 50 percent of Leonard’s games. … That has included president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, which is rare. Presidents and general managers are almost never seen attending a game that doesn’t involve their teams.”
Leonard is thriving in his debut season in Toronto. While the Raptors will try their best to convince him to sign a long-term extension with the team, his reported interest in returning to his hometown will give the Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers hope of securing his services.
And from that hopes springs the Clippers’ monumental effort to perform their due diligence on Leonard in plain sight.
