Kawhi, Draymond & LeBron MAJOR NEWS BREAKDOWN 🚨 | First Take

Breaking news this morning, the Kawhi Leonard era with the Clippers could be coming to a close with the team in serious discussions to trade the star to his former team, the Raptors.According to Sham Sharanya, Kawhi has only one season left on his current contract.So, Wendy, I want to bring it to you first.Where would you like to see him go?Obviously, the Raptors are on top of the conversation, but is that the right place for Kawhi Leonard to be back there in Toronto?

Well, I know that's where he wants to go, and I will not look inside his head, but I have a guess as to why he wants to go there, and that's because the Raptors are a place that will extend his contract.He's in the last year of a deal of $50 million, and guys, He's coming off two awesome seasons.If you go back and look, when he came back from his last knee injury, he's played 103 games over the last year and a half.He's averaged 25 points, shot 50 % from the field, 40 % from three -point range, and just coming off an awesome season where he was mostly healthy.And this is a player that has value, and he wants to be paid for it.And the Aspiration Investigation, of course, you're going to ask, well, what's going on with that?

Amina, nobody seems to know.26 days ago, Adam Silver said, it's time to wrap it up.The Clippers can't wait any longer.And so they're making a decision here, I think, to move on from Kawhi Leonard.Doesn't mean that they'll agree.I think they're going to have some serious demands from the Raptors.

But part of what's happening here is Kawhi saying, I will sign with the Raptors and the Raptors only.It forces the exclusive negotiation.But it also may force the Raptors to pony up with another piece or two because they know it won't be a rental.The last time they got Kawhi Leonard.He was with the opposite.He said, I will not sign there.

Absolutely not.And they got him for a steal this time.He's saying I will sign there and the Clippers are going to want a premium.So we'll see if it gets worked out.

Yeah, this from the move as Wendy explained is from the Kawhi standpoint.I want to take it from the Toronto Raptors standpoint.This to me is the first move.of the offseason that could really shake up the NBA and really redetermine who is at the top of the East right now.If the Toronto Raptors get Kawhi Leonard, you're looking at probably the second best team and the Eastern Conference because he fits so perfectly because you're really only probably going to either maybe lose Ingram or RJ bear depending on who it is.And I think why is a good replacement for them, especially defensively with the team that was already the top five defense in the league in the regular season.

And when you look at Toronto, where did they struggle?They struggle scoring in the half court and scoring in the clutch near the bottom and clutch scoring in the regular season.Who's a guy that can solve all of that is Kawhi Leonard in the mid -range with the scoring.He can really raise the the ceiling for this Toronto's Raptors team.And when you look at what happened, the rest of the Eastern Conference and moves that they're making, I put them right there with New York at the top of the East.

Ooh, second best team in the East.

Oh, I mean, she's she just she's just glad that you said second best team behind.

That's why that's why I mean, it's over there.Just getting and grinning.

God, here's what here's what this is.For one, you're looking at the Boston Celtics, potentially taking a gigantic step back.Philadelphia up against luxury tax penalties.The Cleveland Cavaliers, same sort of thing, even though I'm not sure if people view the Cavs as a championship contender.The Detroit Pistons were supposed to go get a co -star for Kay Cunningham.So far, they have not done that yet.

It's not to say that they won't, but they haven't done that yet.Miami has not filled out their roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo.They don't have the resources quite yet to do that.The picks are at the top and nobody's disputing that.But when you go get a Kawhi Leonard and you wind up shipping out a couple other pieces that you talked about that defense, you're talking about Kawhi Leonard as being one of the best shot creators in the game still, even at this advanced age, and they put themselves at the top of the list in the Eastern Conference with the next transaction cycle of players who may want to go and play there.I mean, who doesn't aspire to play with Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors, you know what I mean?

Toronto's a nice city.

It's cold all the damn time.

It is cold.Except for in the summertime, it is a nice city.Wendy, I want to bring you back in on this.What does Kawhi Leonard make the Raptors if he's added to that roster once again?

Well, if you look at what happened this year, the Raptors went toe -to -toe with the Cavs in the first round, despite having a couple of starters out due to injury, seven -game series.And the Raptors have a difficult — I mean, the issue the Raptors have is they're going to — it's hard for them to improve.If you look at their team, they don't have, you know, ascendant players.Their best players are sort of hitting their peak, and they're paying them that way.Scottie Barnes is their best player.He's an excellent two -way player, but he needs some help.

But they've got all these guys on $100 million contracts that, frankly, are arguable about whether they're $100 million talents.So they're a little bit handcuffed.So what they need to do is, how do they get a talent infusion?Well, the one thing that they've got that very few teams have They've got all of their draft picks.They own their next seven first round picks.That means that they can enter into any negotiation fully able to juice it with trade pieces.

And that's what the Clippers are going to be looking for here.Whatever player the Clippers take back, I'm not saying that they wouldn't put that guy in the starting lineup and make him a key piece.The Clippers' future is Darius Garland, who's their starting point guard, Keaton Wagler, who they just drafted last week with the number -five pick, and draft picks and other stuff.They're going to go younger.They went from the oldest team in the NBA last year.They want to be one of the youngest teams this year.

And Kawhi Leonard, who, by the way, is turning 35 years old.probably is not going to be involved in that.So what the Raptors can do here is move a player that has a big contract that probably isn't a star, trade that big contract, whoever that is, for a star in Kawhi Leonard, and grease it with some draft picks that make the Clippers happy.That is the wayway the NBA goes.And if you look at the East, OK, to what David is talking about there, Boston Celtics look like they're breaking up their core, or at least trying to.

Charlotte Hornets, an ascendant team last year, have traded away two of their core pieces.Cleveland Cavaliers, flirting with the second apron, could lose a couple of players.Miami Heat got Giannis, but, in my view, not ready yet to contend at the highest level.Philadelphia 76ers, not sure they're going to reassign some of their role players because of how expensive their roster is. I'm not seeing teams in the Eastern Conference that are hitting the gas pedal.Maybe Detroit with cap space that they're going to potentially use in the next couple of days.But I don't see gas pedal hitting.

And Toronto sniffs that.

And I think this is what they're trying to do.They need to have the same mentality that they had in 2019.When Kawhi Leonard was there.You have a one to two -year window.This is where you're going to go with it.If you're going to do the Kawhi thing.

I know he's going to sign multiple years, but you're talking about this year and maybe one more because this is still a Kawhi Leonard that spent most of his career injured.It's been most of his career on the bench.It's been most of his career dealing with those legs and those knees injuries.He's had two great, great years, but your window is so much smaller.If you're Toronto, you have to execute this now or next season to win the championship.

Well, the NBA is set up to where windows are not four or five year windows anymore.You can only plan for this year and maybe next year.And then you wind up recalibrating all the things that we thought two years ago.We don't think of anymore.We thought Oklahoma City was going to be a June mainstay.Now, San Antonio has stepped up.

We don't know what to think anymore.And now the last time, like you said, David, the last time Toronto recognized that market inefficiency.LeBron James goes from Cleveland, where he led them to eight straight finals as a entity and then went to L .A.they got Kawhi Leonard and got a title.

All right let's get to some breaking news that we have here according to Sam Sarania.Take a look at this Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is thehis $27 .7 million player option to become a free agent, sources tell ESPN.This move gives the Warriors flexibility to pursue LeBron James and free agency and Anthony Davis via trade to form a big four.Now, this obviously big news, Wendy, so I want to come to you, but what's your reaction to Draymond Green declining that option?

This is potentially potentially, okay, a very big domino in this entire NBA offseason.This is the news we were waiting to see what was going to happen today.For months, the expectation was that Draymond Green was going to pick up this option, play alongside Steph Curry, and they were going to wait for Jimmy Butler to come back and try to assemble something in the second half of the season.This is an indication that Draymond Green is willing to take a pay cut.Now, if they don't get these players, Draymond could just re -sign right back into this deal.But this opens the door for the Warriors to use their mid -level exception of $15 million.

$15 million for LeBron James is a preposterous bargain, OK?But the thing that I have been told, the Lakers have interest in re -signing LeBron.They expressed that interest as soon as they were able at the end of the finals.They want to give LeBron a contract offer.They want to meet with him and give him their plan for what they want to do in free agency.But the way it was explained to me, Amina, LeBron has been unavailable for a meeting with the Lakers.

And you're going to say, well, what does that mean?I don't know what it means.I know that that is what I have been told.LeBron has been unavailable.He has been playing golf basically every day, whether it's in France or Akron, Ohio, for the last week.He has been unavailable.

The Lakers are running out of time.They need to begin their offseason.Now we see Draymond Green, a longtime LeBron James confidant, who has the same agent, who now opts out of his contract to open up awindow.That doesn't mean it's a done deal, but it opens up a window.If Draymond had stayed in this contract, the Warriors would not be able to lower their salary down enough to get access to that $15 million.

So I would just say this, stay tuned.

Wendy said it right there.I mean, this is a big domino to fall David in the offseason with Draymond Green declining that player option, possibly LeBron being able to go and play for the Warriors.Steph Curry.I mean, there's a lot of different things that play here, but what's your reaction to this news?

Earlier?I said that kawaii -lena going to Toronto was potential.I would like to welcome the Golden State Warriors back to big boy offseason moves like they have been spending the last half a decade twiddling in their thumbs goofing around with this to Timeline thing that has been going on nowhere.And they think the heavens again that Stephen Curry got them a championship in 2022 when they're all when their front office really didn't do enough to Garner that but they've been doing this thing with these draft picks with Kaminga with wise men with all these things trying to put a band -aid with Jimmy Butler and Porzingis and all this now, you are ready.to go ahead in the offseason and make the moves necessary to get a championship team around Stephen Curry for the first time in a very long time at the end of his career.If you're going to go out there and tell me you're getting Anthony Davis.

If you're going to go out there and tell me you're getting LeBron James with all of this going on.You have a puncher's chance with a guy who was still a top 10 player in the league.So kudos to the Warriors if they can get this or some some facsimile of these kind of moves happening right now to maximize these last few years of Stephen Curry.

It sounds like such a great idea.So much has to happen.LeBron has to choose Golden State.Draymond Green and Golden State have to come to an agreement.Anthony Davis, what happens there is going to be interesting because the Warriors have a few picks that they can put into a trade and Washington has been very long -termthinking as far as building around A .J.

J.DeBonte.They just re -signed Trey Young.The questions I have is Anthony Davis.Health -wise, where is he?He had a ligament in his hand.

It cost him a lot of time as soon as he got traded to Washington.He was a salary dump.Is he a great idea, or is he a player that we've just forgotten about and he still has that type of effect?LeBron and Steph, the question becomes, can you keep both of these guys upright to basically go against San Antonio and Oklahoma City, assuming that those two teams are at the top of the Western Conference?Don't forget about Minnesota.This is a deep and young Western Conference.

Minnesota went still young, but they went quick.Golden State is going old and older.I want to see how this works.Golden State says they always want to give themselves a puncher's chance in a second round series.If all of these things happen, you got to figure out the Jimmy Butler stuff.This gives them a puncher's chance.

I'm just not sure how great of a, it sounds like a great idea is what I'm saying.I'm just not sure what it looks like in application.

Let's bring up the Anthony Davis side of this.Okay.So Anthony Davis was traded to the Wizards midway through last season.The Wizards are in the process of trying to flip the whole team around.They get A .J.

DeBanca.They have Trey Young.They want to immediately improve their roster.They want to immediately try to at least make the play -in this year.Anthony Davis has one year plus a player option for $110 million total on his contract.Obviously, the Warriors here are interested in trying to go get Anthony Davis, and what they want to do is they want to have Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Draymond Green.

That is what very clearly is starting to shape up here.Can they pull this off?Well, Anthony Davis just saw Trey Young get a $200 million new contract with the Wizards.Yesterday, Rich Paul, who represents Draymond Green and LeBron and Anthony Davis,met with the Wizards to discuss the future.I'm sure that Anthony Davis could be given a contract that would make him very happy to be in Washington.

Maybe the Wizards are prepared to do that.Like I said, the Wizards want to win immediately.But if not, the Warriors could potentially come in there and make an offer.Remember, the Warriors were willing to trade four first -round picks.They have four they can trade.They were willing to trade four first -round picks to get Giannis Tenencampo.

They weren't able to do that.Would they be willing to put that type of offer available for Anthony Davis?And that would be a strange situation to have a player and literally never play him.But think about this.The Wizards traded two first -round picks to get Anthony Davis last season.If they went and turned him and flopped him for four first round picks, it would be like crazy basketball arbitrage.

Acquire a player, the player never plays for you, and send him out for four first round picks.The Warriors have indicated that they want, and Steph Curry has indicated that they want to extend his contract.Steph is not retiring.He may want to extend his contract.Now they've got Draymond Green.They could give him a multi -year contract.

They could give Anthony Davis a multi -year contract.Now what I have just laid out is a fever dream for the Warriors.The steps that I just said are all very difficult.Nothing would be guaranteed here.And the Warriors routinely, every year, we see at the trade deadline or in the summer, the Warriors try some grandiose move.It is what they are known for.

It is what Joe Lacob does.So, the fact that they have a grandiose plan is not breaking news.Whether they can pull it off or not, that is what we are now going to be watching.

I want to stay on the Anthony Davis part of this, David, and just how does that kind of fit into the equation of trying to get him out there to the Warriors, but also to lure LeBron James to the team as well?

Look, Anthony Davis...when healthy, of course, as we know a great player.If I'm the Golden State Warriors.Yes, you do want LeBron James.You do want Anthony Davis.You want to get as much as you can to build around your main star and try to get one or two more championships.

I don't think Anthony Davis is essential to this being a successful offseason.Like because of the risk that you have with the guy with the injuries with the amount of money that you're offering him that that is a risky thing for the Warriors to deal with.However, If you're telling me that the Warriors are going to start this season with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, LeBron James, and some of those young guys they have around them.I'm having with rolling the ball out and seeing what happens.Anthony Davis to me is not an essential piece in this.Now, if you're trying to tell me that he comes and he's healthy and all that stuff, that's great.

But for Golden State, you need to have a lot of options.And so Wendy's point, there have been multiple years.There's been the Paul George.There's been Giannis.There's been all of these things that they've been saying.They're going to do in trade deadlines and offseason.

It is finally time to get one of these right to nail one of these because again, you are wasting away your best player that you've ever had the last years of his career.If you cannot get this done at least one time before the end is career.

If all if any one thing doesn't happen, does that mean not?Any one thing can happen.Because Rich Paul is Draymond's agent, LeBron's agent, Anthony Davis' agent, does this mean all three things have to be tied together?So if you're saying Anthony Davis is not an essential, is he an essential for LeBron James to go there?These are questions that we do not yet know the answers to.I will say this.

Historically, when LeBron James goes quiet before his free agency, That ain't a good sign for the team that he's playing for.If the Lakers can't get in touch with him for whatever reason, that does not bode well for them at this point.And how embarrassing is it for the Lakers?And we haven't talked about them at all in this.How embarrassing is this for them?for them to be the marquee franchise, the star franchise, the statue franchise, that your statue left you for a team that's not terribly far away.

It ain't the Clippers that he'd be leaving them for.He'd be leaving them for a championship organization, and a championship organization that has shown it has the wherewithal, the creativity, and the deep pockets to go and do the things that you can't.

I feel I feel it, but also kind of just feels like this Lakers thing with LeBron.It's a breakup of me before I break up with you think like how did how terribly heartbroken would they be to be moving a fully 100 % into the Luka don't don't just air right now.Yeah.I know it may be a little egg on the face right now.LeBron is going up the street going to Golden State and all that stuff, but you get to move on.to Luka Doncic and you get to move on with it.

While saying, hey, we tried our best.We called LeBron.We texted, he ghosted us.He ain't replying our DMS, none of that stuff.Oh, what do we have to do?We have to go to Luka and Austin Reeves.

It's not a terrible situation for the Lakers.If that's what they're forced to do.You ever been quiet quit before?

Not quiet quit.

You ever been quiet quit by somebody you don't want to be with?

Wendy, go ahead.I just want to point out that all of this, it's not personal, it's negotiation.If the Lakers want to dispense with this, they could just come in and offer LeBron $50 million a year.They could just buy their way out of this situation if they wanted to.Maybe that works, maybe it doesn't.The same thing with Anthony Davis.

This is creating a leverage situation.You want Anthony Davis fully engaged and ready to go to try to get the Wizards to the playoffs and be totally invested in Washington for the last stage of his prime, offering the same type of contract he just offered Trey Young.I mean, none of this, just because it is interesting to see on the screen and interesting to talk about, doesn't mean that it's going to happen.It's also a leverage play.But if it does happen, and I'm still in the if camp on this, I'll just point out.Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, LeBron played together in the Olympics under Steve Kerr in Paris in 2024.

It worked out.A .D.had a great Olympics.LeBron was named MVP.And you may recall the way Steph finished off that.

So it wouldn't be like this would be the first time that these guys would have played together.And LeBron and Draymond Green have a long, long relationship.

Do get LeBron James.They got Steph Curry.They got A .D.I mean, it's like the assembling of the Avengers, the old Avengers and Golden State.What type of team does that make the Warriors going into next season?

An old team.It makes them an old team.It makes them a great idea.I think what we saw in these playoffs is that this is a marathon.and young legs have to get it done.But we also seen that you have to have some level of experience and mental stamina.

And if it's one thing that we can trust about LeBron James and Stephen Curry, is that they have the mental stamina.Do you have the physical stamina?Is your body going to hold up?We've seen Steph break down over the course of the past couple of years because he's had to carry undermanned teams throughout.We've seen LeBron James standing upright at the end of the Lakers season while Luka Doncic was hurt, while Austin Reeves was hurt.When you count on that with LeBron going into age 42 and Steph -Alpha Lee going into age 38, you are asking a lot, especially against Oklahoma City, who's still going to be pretty damn good, and San Antonio, who, let's take the last images of the NBA Finals out of our minds.

Let's assume that Victor Wiminiyama's going to be better.Let's assume that Steph Castle and Dylan Harper are going to be a lot better.I don't think anybody's afraid, but I do think you have to take note of what they're doing.

Well, as much as it pains me to give the Knicks props while Amina sitting right here, you got to look at the fact that you look at the Warriors and the finals was kind of informative about this, right?It's about like everybody's going youth.Okay, see Spurs all of that, but there's something to just have an experience.playing together, knowing how to win in these clutch moments.And even though, you know, Steph LeBron ad, they only played in the Olympics.These guys know how to win Draymond.

They know how to win getting there is one thing.You can stay remotely healthy.You can get there against a young team.I think that they can bank on experience.Teamwork getting there.The Warriors just won a championship 22 doing that against a young Boston Celtics team.

If you're the Warriors, this is your best shot.

So you said experience of the New York Knicks there.2930.Yes, different age bracket, but the Lakers, the Warriors are 3940.

They are.They are a bit a little bit older.Also health has been just a huge concern with Anthony Davis, you know, obviously LeBron James.He's hitting that age as well.The knees may not work as well.So, you know, I'm just saying don't look at me like that Vinny because maybe the knees don't work.

I'm just saying once you get like 3940, the knees are not the same as more experience means more better.

That's more.Okay, got all the experience.