Spurs need to get smart about Kawhi Leonard
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the smartest teams in the NBA. That’s why they have to make the best deal for Kawhi Leonard, even if it’s with a team in the Western Conference.
No one other than Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs front office can really know what’s transpired between both parties. Myriad rumors have been reported but, per normal, the truth likely likes somewhere in between all of them.
We can, however, make definite statements about what the Spurs must do if they part ways with Kawhi Leonard.
Specifically, Gregg Popovich, R.C. Buford and the rest of the San Antonio brain trust need to make the best deal possible. Plan A for the franchise is obviously to keep hold of their transcendent star. Plan B would require the team to work hard to deal Leonard for something approaching fair market value.
That’s what makes recent reports about the Spurs refusing to deal with Western Conference teams so concerning. That’s an antiquated idea from a franchise that’s prided itself on being run better than their competitors. San Antonio cannot handicap their ability to make a good trade by eliminating half the NBA from the competition.
It’s not even a lock that a Western Conference foe would leapfrog the Spurs in the standings after acquiring Leonard. Don’t bet against San Antonio’s ability to reload on the fly.
Clearly, this sort of noise from the Spurs is designed to send a clear message to the two NBA teams located in Los Angeles. Most people believe Leonard is going his best to engineer a move to the City of Angels.
It’s only natural for San Antonio to have some hard feelings about their player trying to strongarm them. That does not mean, however, that the Spurs front office can let pride get in the way of making a good deal.
Netting a good return for Leonard is going to be more difficult than a lot of people think. He’s coming off a mysterious injury and he’s only got one year left on his current contract. The talented forward can walk away from any team next summer with zero restrictions.
The lack of certainty about his health and future intentions is going to make potential trade partners very nervous. Some teams will refrain from negotiating with the Spurs at all without assurances that Leonard will re-sign. Don’t expect the player’s camp to offer that kind of information to many teams.
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Figuring out what to do with Kawhi Leonard is going to dominate San Antonio’s offseason until the situation finds its conclusion. The team cannot afford to eliminate all Western Conference teams from trade consideration just because they don’t want to play Leonard too often in the future. That would be a short-signed decision from a franchise that’s always excelled at taking a long-term view.