Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard has declined his player option to become an unrestricted free agent, according to Yahoo! Sports' Chris Haynes.
The Knicks, who have enough salary cap space to sign two free agents to max deals, are planning an "aggressive" pursuit of Leonard, according to SNY's Ian Begley, however Leonard, according to Haynes, is "seriously considering" re-signing with the NBA champion Raptors.
Toronto is the only team that can offer the 27-year-old Leonard a five-year, $190 million deal, while the other 29 NBA teams, including the Knicks, can offer Leonard a max contract of four years, $140 million.
While Haynes reports the Raptors are considered favorites to land Leonard, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that Leonard is focused on signing a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.
A three-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Leonard has averaged 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 steals since debuting in 2011. Last season with Toronto, he averaged 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 stesls.
Free agency officially begins next Sunday at 6 p.m.