Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 wildly ambitious free agency targets in next 3 years

Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs

When he’ll be available: Free agent in 2019 (player option) or 2020

This would be the ultimate consolation prize for losing LeBron, hands down.

Leonard can technically hit the market as early as 2019. At this moment, though, the odds seemed heavily stacked against that ever happening. The San Antonio Spurs would be absolutely insane to ever let him get anywhere near free agency, and they know it.

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More than likely, he’ll have a new deal in place before the 2018-19 season has even begun. Leonard has already proven himself to be among the game’s best, earning MVP award considerations this past season. He’s the present and future for the Spurs, which means Gregg Popovich isn’t letting him go anywhere.

And yet maybe, just maybe, Leonard doesn’t want to be in Texas anymore. Instead, maybe he’d like a quieter life up in Ohio. Maybe he’d like to be the heir apparent to James’ throne as the leader of the Cavaliers. I know it sounds asinine, but I don’t care.

Instead, let’s imagine a scenario in which Leonard tests free agency, allowing all of the NBA’s best teams to duke it out for the right to sign him. Much like the aforementioned Westbrook scenario, it would be a mad dash for the opportunity to just meet with Leonard. Every team league-wide would be looking for ways to clear cap space.

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In this hypothetical scenario, the Cavaliers would obviously be in play — especially if James is calling somewhere else home. Inking Leonard to a deal would give them their superstar forward back and place them back atop the East. The odds are overwhelmingly slim, but that’s not the point of this exercise.