Rival NBA Teams Had Better Hope Nobody Pairs Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler Together
By Charles Nason
The NBA free agency period officially begins Sunday night and there are plenty of big names whose services are on the market. Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors and Jimmy Butler of the Philadelphia 76ers stand out among those who might have new homes when the new league year opens. While neither player's destination is anywhere close to settled yet, the rest of the league should be terrified of cap-conscious team nabbing both.
According to several reports, multiple teams are interested in putting together an unreal combination of Leonard and Butler together on their team. And those who are clearly not in on the Leonard or Butler sweepstakes better hope that no team can land the pair.
Multiple NBA teams have interest in pairing Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler, sources tell @ianbegley https://t.co/IBSSFR23dE pic.twitter.com/OfMTJHoEid
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 26, 2019
Jimmy Butler's fate is slightly clearer than that of Kawhi Leonard. Although the Houston Rockets have stated that they are going to aggressively pursue Butler, the power lies in the hands of the Sixers. It still seems likely that Philadelphia locks up Butler before any other team has a shot at doing so, potentially giving the eight-year veteran and four-time All-Star a max contract.
The possibility of Butler and Leonard joining forces would likely only happen in a few places. If the Klaw chooses to stay in Toronto, the Raptors could potentially go after Butler. With the 76ers set to meet with Leonard himself, he could potentially join the team he destroyed in the 2019 NBA semifinals. If both choose to leave their current clubs, they could possibly link up somewhere like Los Angeles and completely change the face of the Clippers.
I've always felt a Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard pairing made sense (if Kawhi bolts TOR). Kawhi is still viewed as the man - the No. 1 option - and they have a lot of respect for each other. Both are 2-way stars who made it after being slept on for years. https://t.co/GiJzys7duB
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 26, 2019
Although the chance of these two joining the same team is highly unlikely, such a move, replete with defensive intensity and clutch shot-making, could seriously shake up the NBA. Teams around the league should hope and pray that no other organization is able to land the two All-Stars, creating a highly well-balanced foundation of a super team.
Some star pairings are all of show. This one would be ALL about the work. And that should send shivers down the spines of their rivals.