NBA News Roundup, Monday, June 24th: Major Kawhi Leonard update, Chris Paul wants to stay with the Rockets and more

The 2019 offseason is finally here, 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 Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Houston 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 rumors you need to know for June 24.

Kawhi Leonard to decline player-option and will become a free agent

Kawhi Leonard helped to lead the Toronto Raptors to a first championship in franchise history

Following an incredible season with the Toronto Raptors, Kawhi Leonard is arguably the most in-demand free agent of the 2018 offseason. The 27-year-old has been linked with the likes of the Lakers and Clippers, and Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports is reporting that Leonard will decline his player option in order to hit free agency:

Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard will decline his 2019-20 player option worth $21.3 million to become an unrestricted free agent, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Leonard, 27, is believed to be seriously considering re-signing with the Raptors, sources said.But there are a handful of teams who could secure a meeting with the 2019 NBA Finals MVP, sources said.

The appeal of returning home to Southern California is enticing to the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, but with the trust the Raptors built while Leonard led the franchise to its first NBA title by upsetting the Golden State Warriors, rival executives view his current team as the favorite to land him when the free-agent negotiating period begins June 30, sources said.

During his debut season in Toronto, Leonard averaged career highs in points (26.6) and rebounds (7.3).

Tobias Harris set for free agency meetings

Tobias Harris spent the second half of the 18-19 season in Philadelphia

Tobias Harris will hit free agency later this week, and Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News is reporting that the 26-year-old will meet with a number of teams:

With free agency starting in just one week, Tobias Harris is planning to conduct meetings on both coasts, according to a source -- the East coast on June 30 and the West coast on July 1. The Long Island product is in line for a max deal.

Harris is coming off a season where he averaged 20 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. He joined the Sixers from the Clippers ahead of the February 7 trade deadline and Philadelphia want to sign him to a new long-term deal. However, the Sixers also need to offer new contracts to Jimmy Butler and J.J. Reddick, and Harris may not get the max-deal he is looking for.

Chris Paul happy in Houston; Denies trade request rumors

Chris Paul has spent the past two seasons with the Houston Rockets

Over the last few weeks, multiple reports have claimed that Chris Paul wants out of the Houston Rockets. However, at the Go Hoop Day celebrations he co-founded, Paul told reporters that he was committed to winning with Houston:

I never asked for a trade. I never demanded a trade. I’ll be in Houston. I’m happy about that. I’m very happy about that. I’m good. There’s only team that wins at the end of the year, you know what I mean? Since I went to Houston, from day one, it’s been about winning games. It’s always about winning games.

Paul signed a four-year, $160 million maximum contract extension with the Rockets in the summer of 2018. Over the previous season, CP3 averaged 15.6 points, 8.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game.