Will the Spurs part with Kawhi Leonard?
There’s a bit of a tug of war happening in San Antonio. Leonard’s camp is making it very clear that Kawhi wants to be a Laker. But Spurs management reportedly has no desire to trade Leonard to the Lakers, or any other Western Conference team. General Manager R.C. Buford says he wants Leonard to remain a member of the Spurs.
But with one year remaining on Leonard’s contract, the Spurs risk losing Leonard for nothing if they don’t deal him before the February trade deadline. The team also risks tanking Leonard’s value and making life miserable for themselves if they wait until the last second to make a trade. Leonard is already proven to be prone to injury and an unhappy Leonard could fractured a locker room that already grew frustrated with the Leonard drama at the end of last season.
Leonard may not have done himself any favors by insisting on joining the Lakers in any potential move. Other teams who may be interested in him, may not want to give the Spurs its best offers if Leonard won’t commit to staying beyond next season. Either way, Leonard’s departure from the Spurs seems inevitable.
