The San Antonio Spurs would receive a major boost if Kawhi Leonard were to return down the stretch, but the star forward is apparently unwilling to commit to playing again this season.
Like ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News reported on Thursday that the Spurs held a players-only meeting after Saturday’s game in which Leonard’s teammates urged him to return to the court as quickly as possible. Leonard was said to be blindsided by the meeting and would not provide a timetable.
The vets wanted to know if Leonard intended to play this season, and if so, when he was planning to return.
Leonard was reminded about the Spurs’ status – in the middle of a playoff push with now 10 games remaining. According to sources, Leonard, who was caught off guard by the meeting, stood his ground. He spoke up telling his teammates that a return was still the goal. But Leonard offered no set date or guarantee about a return this season.
Leonard did receive support from some teammates, urging him not to return until he feels healthy enough, sources told the Express-News.
The meeting lasted roughly five to 10 minutes with no clear update on Leonard’s plans.
Leonard has not played since Jan. 13 as he recovers from a right quadriceps injury, and there has been mixed information about when he might return — if at all. He has reportedly been cleared by some doctors but is choosing not to play, which may or may not be a source of tension between Leonard and the Spurs organization.
The Spurs are currently 42-30 and clinging to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference with 10 games to play in the regular season. It goes without saying that they could use Leonard back if they want to make a deep playoff run.
