NBA News Roundup, Monday, June 17th: Kyrie Irving to the Lakers remains a possibility, Julius Randle could leave Pelicans and more
The 2019 offseason is quickly approaching and it is gearing up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. The upcoming free agent class is perhaps the best in NBA history, as the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler and Kevin Durant will all be up for grabs.
Teams such as the Lakers, Thunder, and Rockets are also attempting to make big moves as they look to build a roster that can compete during the 2019/20 season. So, here are all the latest NBA rumours and news you need to know for June 17th:
Fred VanVleet hopes Kawhi Leonard will remain with the Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are still celebrating winning their first ever Championship, although Kawhi Leonard's future continues to hang over the team. The Finals MVP is about to hit unrestricted free agency, and Fred VanVleet has spoken of his desire for Leonard to remain in Toronto:
I think for us (Raptors), there is nothing more that we can do. We've done it, the city, this franchise, the coaches, my teammates - we've done our job. The best way to recruit somebody is to just be yourself over the course of the year and I would assume that he knows what is here, what makes this place special.
If it's enough then it's enough. If it's not then it's not. We would all love for him to be back, if he's not we will move on from there. It's not the biggest deal in the world - he came here, did what he was supposed to do. So he brought this city a championship, I think he has earned his freedom and career to do what he wants, we'll all respect and admire him.
During the 2019 postseason, Leonard averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.