Kawhi Leonard could be on the move this offseason. Here five teams that should make their pitch to the San Antonio Spurs.
Kawhi Leonard’s days in San Antonio may be numbered. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, “several NBA general managers” are planning to make an offseason inquiry on the Spurs star.
This past offseason, the Spurs were hit up for requests on All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who indicated his unhappiness with his role. San Antonio kept hold of Aldridge, who is now enjoying his best season as a pro.
A lot of that success is due to the uncertainty surrounding Leonard this season. Injured in Game 1 of the 2016-17 NBA Western Conference Finals, Leonard would sit out the rest of the playoffs. He spent the offseason rehabbing the quad injury with many hopeful of an early season return.
He didn’t return until mid-December, playing every other game until early-January, where he suffered a setback.
Teammates grew restful with most preparing to play out the season without Leonard. Reports of unhappiness in the Spurs locker room and inside the organization came out. It was the first chink in the Spurs robot armor under Gregg Popovich.
With the offseason approaching and Leonard’s status still a mystery, teams seem prepared to buy low on the 2014 Finals MVP. But buying low still means trading away proven players or high potential commodities for a guy who may never be the same, psychically and mentally.