Drake is preparing his own recruiting pitch for Kawhi Leonard in addition to the Toronto Raptors' efforts, sources told The New York Times' Marc Stein.

The Grammy-winning artist developed a strong relationship with Leonard during his lone season in Toronto and has played a crucial marketing role for the team as the Raptors' global ambassador.

Drake is a vocal supporter of the reigning NBA champions and joined the Raptors during their title parade, sharing a celebratory bus with the two-time Finals MVP.

Leonard has narrowed his options to the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers in addition to potentially re-signing with the Raptors.

Leonard remains the only available marquee free agent and has given no indication as to when he will make his final decision.

Both L.A. teams are far from complete, with the Lakers dealing the majority of their roster to add Anthony Davis while maintaining enough space to potentially sign Leonard. The Clippers have been working toward adding Leonard for over a year with two max contract spots. However, they've seemingly struck out on adding a second top free agent to play alongside the star forward.

The allure of repeating as NBA champions with the Raptors is among the biggest selling points as the team is expected to bring back the same roster.