As the saga surrounding the San Antonio Spurs and disgruntled forward Kawhi Leonard intensifies, it is becoming more apparent how badly the Spurs hope to retain their franchise centerpiece.
Not only did legendary head coach Gregg Popovich have a sitdown with Leonard, but the Spurs have also shooed away any offers they may have received, notably from his preferred destination of the LA Lakers. Now with free agency looming, USAToday’s Sam Amick reports that not only are the Spurs determined to keep Leonard around, but that they also refuse to trade him within the Western Conference, effectively ruling out any chance he joins the Lakers this summer.
The Spurs wasted no time in sending this message all around the NBA: The only Western Conference team he might be playing for is theirs.
Fellow West teams have been told, in essence, to get lost – none moreso than the Lakers… As it stands, the Spurs are determined to either fix the situation or trade Leonard to an Eastern Conference team.
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Cavs have inquired about Leonard but there is no traction on a possible deal. The Spurs have told teams to put forth offers without any indication of what might come next.
Out of the teams that may be interested in the Eastern Conference, a trio of potential suitors come to mind: the Sixers, Cavaliers and Celtics. Though the Cavs may not have the requisite package to return a player of Leonard’s caliber, they must do everything they can to better the odds of LeBron James staying put through free agency, essentially hoping to save their franchise from irrelevancy.
The Sixers and the Celtics certainly have the assets to pull off a deal, especially Boston who roster an array of young, mouth-watering prospects. Though it’s hard to envision them coughing up Jayson Tatum or Kyrie Irving, they have other high-quality trade chips at their disposal.
However, how willing will any team in the NBA be to part with key assets when Kawhi Leonard can opt out of his contract a year from now? Especially with his clear preference for the Lakers, it’s becoming harder to envision anyone offering a top-tier package for what may end up being essentially a one-year rental.
