All-Star swingman Kawhi Leonard had an injury plagued 2017-18 campaign with the San Antonio Spurs that turned tumultuous by season’s end. After a quad injury that kept him on the shelf for all but nine games brought tension between the franchise and his camp about a recovery plan and how healthy (or not) he really was, it led to speculation about his future with the franchise.
After a private discord turned public, it inflamed speculation about whether he wants to remain with the franchise, or would prefer a trade along with a fresh start elsewhere. Spurs teammate Danny Green shared his thoughts on the situation Friday on ESPN’s Get Up, saying Leonard has expressed he wants to stay with the franchise that groomed him into one of the best players in the league.
“I think he wants to be in San Antonio,” said Green. “He’s let me know verbally that he wants to be there, so we’ll see what happens.”
Leonard sought a second opinion on his injury outside the organization, which apparently led to some discord. But if he does indeed want to stay, the Spurs would do well to keep him in town. Before an injury-riddled 2017-18 season, Leonard averaged a career-high 25.5 points per game and 3.5 assists in pacing a San Antonio franchise that has been nothing if not steady over the course of the last two decades.
Keeping Leonard may not come cheap for the Spurs, though, as he meets the requirements for the NBA’s supermax contract extension this summer that would exceed $200 million. If the franchise opts to keep its supermax deal in hand and aims to re-sign Leonard next summer, the Spurs could risk losing him; Leonard has a player option following the 2018-19 season, and could decline it to become a free agent.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
