Throughout a rocky 2017/18 season, even as rumors of discord between Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs persisted, most reports out of San Antonio have suggested that a long-term union between the two sides remains the most likely outcome. Multiple reporters over the course of the season indicated that the Spurs would likely put a Designated Veteran Extension offer on the table for Leonard during the offseason.
However, that’s no longer a lock. In his latest piece for The San Antonio Express-News, Mike Finger observes that a super-max offer still seemed like a slam dunk as of month or two ago, but he admits it’s not a certainty anymore. In fact, Finger writes, it might be a surprise if the Spurs do extend that offer to Leonard.
Given the Spurs’ history of stability, the Leonard situation this season has been fascinating. It stems from a disagreement between the Spurs’ medical staff and Leonard’s own doctors about the state of his quadriceps injury — the Spurs have cleared the star forward to return, but his doctors haven’t done so, and he still doesn’t feel comfortable enough to play.
As part of his rehab, Leonard is currently in New York, away from the Spurs as they battle the Warriors in the first round of the postseason. Finger suggests the team is fine with Leonard’s absence, but the optics aren’t great, and Gregg Popovich‘s comments after Monday’s Game 2 loss were interpreted by some observers as a subtle dig at his absent star — even though they were ostensibly intended as praise for LaMarcus Aldridge.
“LaMarcus has been a monster all year long,” Popovich said, per Sam Amick of USA Today. “He’s led our team at both ends of the floor. He doesn’t complain about a darn thing out on the court. He just plays through everything. I can’t imagine being more proud of a player as far as playing through adversity and being there for his teammates night after night after night. He’s been fantastic.”
It’s worth noting that Aldridge was in a somewhat similar position to Leonard a year ago, having broached the possibility of a trade out of San Antonio during the 2017 offseason. However, a meeting and a few conversations between Aldridge and Popovich allowed the two sides to work out their issues, with the Spurs’ big man ultimately signing an extension before the season got underway.
As Finger writes, there’s still hope that the Spurs and Leonard could follow a similar path. However, at this point, the situation is “too complicated to work out with one phone call.” Finger speculates that it would probably take a series of conversations – with both sides reiterating their commitment to one another – for the Spurs and Leonard to comfortably move forward.
The Spurs are just two losses away from officially starting their offseason, at which point addressing the Leonard situation will become the franchise’s top priority. It’s not clear how this will play out, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Leonard inks an extension in the offseason — at this point, it also wouldn’t be a total shock if he has played his last game at the Spur.
What do you think? Will the Spurs work things out with Leonard like they did with Aldridge before him? Or will the team decide to move on from its best player a year before he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency? Vote below in our poll and share your thoughts in the comment section!
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