Toronto is waiting with bated breath to see if Raptors star Kawhi Leonard will re-sign with the team after his one-year contract comes to a close. The player has arguably carried the Raptor’s into championships single-handedly, averaging almost 40 points on better than 60-per-cent shooting (a feat Michael Jordan accomplished just once). The 27-year-old is one of the top five players in the NBA right now and still has a bright career ahead of him, which begs the question: Will it be in Toronto?
Simon S. Mass, CEO of The Condo Store Inc., may have a genius solution to sweeten the deal for Leonard. If the player signs on for another season, Mass will gift him a luxury condo in one of Toronto’s prestigious hotel residences — the Shangri-La, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton or St. Regis, with values ranging from $2 to $5 million.
“I’d be happy, on behalf of The Condo Store, to work out a deal in any of the towers that he prefers. Based on his contract — whether it’s one-year, two-year or three-year — we would make sure that he has his own place to stay, as a sign of our support to the team and the city,” says Mass, whose firm specializes in representing high-net-worth investors on new condo developments.
“From the minute he came on-board, he’s been our star player, and he’s the one that’s been keeping the team in the playoffs. From day one, the question has been, ‘Is he going to sign a contract next year?’ He’s never given an answer to any questions in regards to this and a lot of the major teams are trying to get him. So what can we throw at him to make him want to stay? We want to get the support of the city behind Kawhi and ensure he’s comfortable in a multi-million dollar condo that is built for a king.”’
Toronto worships Leonard — scanning the crowd at his games you can see fans holding signs begging him to stay. The player has never once said a bad word about Toronto, aside from a comment about the harsh winters (we’re in this together, Kawhi!) But would the hotel residences be an ideal home for the high-net-worth player?
Mass has it on record that they are the preferred home-base for many of the city’s top athletes. He frequently socializes with the Raptors and is a personal friend to another star-player on the team, Serge Ibaka. Mass and his wife are top donors to the Serge Ibaka Foundation, which aims to inspire kids of Congo, Toronto and the world, focusing on health and education issues. Mass and his wife will be joining Ibaka on a trip to the Congo this year to build orphanages.
The Toronto real estate mogul is a sports fan, who, like many other Torontonians, has a personal stake in the team’s success. “If we get to the finals, it’s probably a 75 percent chance he’s going to want to stay, anyways. And if he wants to take us up on our offer, we’re happy to fulfill it.”
