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Report: Kawhi's L.A. focus is Clippers, not Lakers

Claus Andersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

If Kawhi Leonard returns to his hometown of Los Angeles in free agency, he'll likely do it by joining the Clippers and not the Lakers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who added that Leonard may not even take a meeting with the latter.

As it stands now, the Lakers do not have a max salary slot for a player like Leonard in the wake of trading for Anthony Davis. The only way the team can add a max slot is if the New Orleans Pelicans agree to wait until July 30 to make the Davis deal official.

In addition, Leonard may not want to join a LeBron James-led superteam.

"The idea of (Leonard) being a third wheel on a team trying to create a superteam, that has not been Kawhi's M.O.," Wojnarowski said.

The Clippers are believed to be preparing a pitch to Leonard, who was recently named NBA Finals MVP for the Toronto Raptors, when he becomes a free agent on June 30. Leonard must first opt out of the final year of his existing contract, which he's expected to do.

Wojnarowski added that Leonard's free agency is shaping up to be a "Raptors-Clippers fight." During this past regular season, it was reported that the Clippers sent team employees to multiple Raptors games.

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