Kawhi Leonard Aims To Return Soon, Wants To Finish Career With Spurs

Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard spoke to reporters following the team’s practice on Wednesday, asserting that he still aims to play down the stretch after missing most of the season with a quad injury. While Leonard won’t travel with the club on its upcoming three-game road trip, he said he hopes to be back on the court “soon,” as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News details.

“I don’t have a set date right now,” Leonard said. “I just have to keep doing what I’m doing. The progression that I am making has been great. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing.”

There have been whispers throughout the 2017/18 season that Leonard’s injury situation has created some friction between him and the team. Just last month, head coach Gregg Popovich suggested that his star forward may not return at all this season, despite a report later that day indicating that Leonard had received medical clearance to play. Asked today if the treatment of his injury had created issues between him and the Spurs, Leonard downplayed that notion, per Orsborn.

“Everything was done as a group,” Leonard said. “I don’t feel like nothing was friction. I talk to Pop everyday. He knows what the progressions were, he knew what I am doing the whole entire time.”

With reports hinting at possible discord in San Antonio, there has been speculation that Leonard, who is eligible for free agency in 2019, may not be a Spur for the long term. However, he pushed back against that idea as well, according to Orsborn. Asked today if he wanted to finish his career with the franchise, Leonard replied, “Yeah. For sure.”

Of course, if Leonard were to leave San Antonio next year, he wouldn’t be the first player to change teams after expressing a desire to stay. Still, given how quiet he has been for most of this season as rumors and speculation swirled around him, Leonard’s comments today should allow Spurs fans to breathe a little easier.