Knicks Wildly Tried to Recruit Kawhi Leonard Through SNL

It wasn't long ago that the New York Knicks, now one of the most focused and competitive teams in the NBA, were the desperate ones chasing the ready-made stars.

Contenders require a villlage to construct. The front office and ownership have to be on the same page in pursuing a direction, the leading men must be capable of playing up to high-stakes moments and the roster has to unite towards their one goal. But if you tried telling the Knicks of yore that patience is key to comfortably escaping the dark times, you'd have been met with ear-plugging and purely-idealistic schemes.

That's where New York was in 2019. Bad had flipped to worse in their departure from the Carmelo Anthony era, with their attempt at a tank-job completely failing when the draft lottery order betrayed that season's worst squad. They'd miss out on the Zion Williamson sweepstakes, settling for the No. 3 pick behind superior competition.

Former New York Knicks Guard RJ Barrett and New Orleans Pelicans Forward Zion Williamson — Jan 10, 2020; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard RJ Barrett (9) and New Orleans Pelicans small forward Zion Williamson (1) talk after a game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

But no matter, these Knicks weren't done formulating ways to inject fresh juice into their botched operation. Sparkly free agents were everywhere, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving each looking for new homes. They actually did end up teaming in New York, but on the cross-town Brooklyn Nets in a double-throat punch to the NBA's biggest market.

They'd end up returning to a fairly-similar roster to the one that had led them here in the first place, settling for a de factor franchise guy in Julius Randle, and he'd actually help lead the team in the right direction more than anyone could have guessed. Recent reporting, however, revealed that the Knicks had one more trick up their sleeve that never went public.

New York's Hail Mary Heave

Investigative journalist Pablo Torre skowered the league for proof of an alleged video that the Knicks made in an apparent attempt to court Kawhi Leonard to New York, and he delivered the goods on his podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out."

Their "highly-personalized gift" didn't just include Knicks merch. Their customized video pitch included longtime broadcaster Al Roker alongside several then-Saturday Night Live cast members re-enacting welcoming Leonard to the city, especially funny looking back considering how much he was telegraphing a return to his native west coast following a prolific one-and-done stint with the Toronto Raptors.

REVEALED: The Knicks tried to recruit Kawhi Leonard with a top-secret "SNL" sketch in 2019.

Kawhi might've never seen it. But now you can. pic.twitter.com/Q9RpavNaUA
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) December 19, 2025

This wouldn't be the first time that the Knicks used their expansive fan base and resources to revitalize their sloppy team. Even looking past the Wu-Tang Clan-led pitch to Durant, they memorably hired leads from HBO's "The Sopranos" to lure LeBron James over to their city amidst his making his Decision, with a capital D.

This can, if nothing else, serve as a reminder of how quickly the NBA can turn. The Knicks, who had to torun towards building up a squad the old-fashioned way, have gone on to appear in eight playoff series, and now feature as the Eastern Conference's marquee unit.

Compare that to Leonard who, upon joining a more ready-made winner with the Los Angeles Clippers, has yet to log a minute in a conference finals, and now may be on the move himself after seven years of classic Clippers disappointments.

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