As all but one of the NBA’s top free agents continue to come off the board, the Los Angeles Lakers are waiting. L.A. has its sights set on signing Kawhi Leonard, hoping to form the greatest “Big 3” in history with LeBron James and Anthony Davis already on the roster.

The best players available wasted no time picking their next destinations. Within minutes of free agency officially starting at 6 p.m. EDT Sunday, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving committed to joining the Brooklyn Nets. Klay Thompson is staying with the Golden State Warriors. The Philadelphia 76ers signed Tobias Harris and Al Horford while agreeing to send Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade. Kemba Walker went to the Boston Celtics.

Leonard is exercising patience. His decision might not come until much later in the week, and it could ultimately determine which team wins the 2020 NBA Finals.

It’s a three-team race for the reigning NBA Finals MVP. Leonard will meet with the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers before speaking with the Toronto Raptors. It’d be hard to pick a favorite out of that group at this point.

The Lakers thought they were contenders to acquire the superstar during the season when many didn’t view them as a serious landing spot. The franchise seems to believe they’ve got a really good chance to sign Leonard, and with the way the start of free agency has gone, they better be right.

There’s no question that the addition of Leonard would make the Lakers the favorites to win next year’s championship. Failing to sign Leonard, however, would make a title run increasingly difficult.

Toronto just proved that you don’t need a bunch of superstars to win a championship. With all of the recent player movement, both conferences could be wide open next year.

The Raptors also showed how important depth is when it comes to the postseason. If Leonard goes elsewhere, the Lakers will be lacking in quality players outside of James, Davis and Kyle Kuzma.

The Lakers have been targeting several free agents as potential fits on their current three-player roster. As they wait on Leonard, most of those targets have been snatched up, eliminating ways to spend the $32 million they have under the salary cap.

Terrence Ross is re-signing with the Orlando Magic. Patrick Beverley is staying with the Los Angeles Clippers. J.J. Redick is going to the New Orleans Pelicans. Corey Joseph and Trevor Ariza agreed to become Sacramento Kings. Seth Curry is reportedly on his way to the Dallas Mavericks.

Danny Green has been on the Lakers’ radar. According to ESPN, he could be headed to Dallas if Leonard leaves Toronto.

The Lakers viewed D’Angelo Russell as an option at point guard. He’ll be within their division next season after going to the Golden State Warriors via a sign-and-trade.

DeMarcus Cousins is the top name available. Marcus Morris is still out there. Wes Matthews and Kevon Looney are unsigned.

The Lakers don’t have a guard on the roster. Rajon Rondo might become their best option in the backcourt. A reunion with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope makes sense.

Those players can be solid contributors to a team built on a Leonard-James-Davis trio. Their roles would be more pronounced if it’s only James and Davis leading the way.

The Lakers are all-in in their pursuit of Leonard. It’s a worthy gamble, given what Leonard just did in the playoffs. Leonard and James might be the two best players in the world. Davis ranks somewhere in the top 10.

Signing Leonard would ensure that the NBA will have a prohibitive favorite for the fourth straight season. If it’s the Clippers or Raptors that ink him to a new deal, the Lakers fall into a large group of teams that will believe they are about to embark on a championship run.

Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors runs down the floor in the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Jan. 13, 2019. Rob Carr/Getty Images
RELATED STORIES