The San Antonio Spurs seem like they are in no rush to trade Kawhi Leonard now that the NBA Draft has come and gone, but that could simply be a matter of optics.
Justin Tinsley of The Undefeated said there was very little talk at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas over the weekend about where Leonard might end up, but one Western Conference executive said he does not expect Leonard to be with the Spurs much longer.
“It’s weird, right? Where do you think he goes?” the exec asked Tinsley. “You gotta expect that he’s gone sooner than later. You don’t want that dragging into the season. And for someone like Kawhi, you absolutely have to get something in return. … It’s like the entire league is just waiting on the shoe to drop.”
The asking price has almost certainly been the biggest holdup. San Antonio wants to get something of significance in return for Leonard, but the leverage simply isn’t there. If Leonard refuses to agree to a long-term extension with any team besides the Los Angeles Lakers, why would said team give up much for a one-year rental player? And if the Lakers are confident Leonard will sign with them when he becomes a free agent next summer, why would they bother trading for him?
At the end of the day, the Spurs have to get something for Leonard if he’s simply going to walk at the end of next season. There have been some rumblings that he could actually prefer another Western Conference team over the Lakers, but it’s hard to know if people in San Antonio are planting reports like that in an attempt to create a bidding war.
The longer the Leonard saga drags out, the less valuable he will become to teams. The Spurs know that, and that’s why at least one executive expects a trade in the near future.
