NBA: Kawhi Leonard Wants Out
Kawhi Leonard, two-time NBA All-Star and 2014 NBA Finals MVP, reportedly wants out of the San Antonio Spurs organization. It's a story that has been going on for quite some time, but the reasoning still hasn't been made clear. According to multiple sources, Leonard and his camp became frustrated with the organization because of how he was treated following his quad injury. He only played in nine games this past season, and it seemed like many coaches, executives, and even his teammates began to turn on him and publicly questioned his drive to return to the court. ESPN also reported that the Spurs didn't like that Leonard decided to see another doctor outside of the franchise. So if Leonard is traded, where could he end up?
Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Leonard would prefer to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, who could be in store for a huge summer. The Lakers have the cap space to sign two max contracts, and they'll try to persuade LeBron James, Paul George, Demarcus Cousins, Julius Randle, Jusuf Nurkic, and others. If Los Angeles could nab at least two of those guys, then they could become a playoff team. And if they were to somehow acquire James, George, and Leonard, then we might see the Lakers in the Finals for the first time since 2010. I think the Lakers become the favorites to land the Spurs forward, but that doesn't mean it's the only destination. Other suitors could be the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, and New York Knicks.
If he were to get traded to Boston or Philadelphia, then they might become the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. Those two teams were the second and third seed, respectively, in the conference. Adding a player of Leonard's capability could vault them to the top spot, and clear a path for a trip to the Finals. Boston would likely have to part ways with either Jaylen Brown, Kyrie Irving, and/or Terry Rozier in order to trade for Leonard. The 76ers might have to let go of Markelle Fultz or Dario Saric. Leonard is arguably a top five player in the league when he is completely healthy, and there are going to be a ton of teams vying for his services. He averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game last year.
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