Kawhi Leonard has made it clear that he does not want to play for the San Antonio Spurs next season, but he still may be willing to work out for a national audience under the watch of his current head coach.
Leonard is listed as one of the 35 players who were invited to USA Basketball’s minicamp in Las Vegas next week, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne reported on Tuesday that he is “seriously considering” taking part. That would be somewhat surprising given that Gregg Popovich is currently Team USA’s head coach, but also because Leonard has not played publicly since he was shut down for the season with an injured quad.
As the ESPN report notes, one of Leonard’s goals in participating would likely be to showcase the status of his recovery for teams that are interested in trading for him. However, his attendance could provide another opportunity for reconciliation with Popovich and the Spurs, though there isn’t much optimism that that will happen. Here’s more:
Leonard holds some enthusiasm for showcasing his revitalized health in the wake of the quad injury that has been at the center of discord between the Spurs and him, sources said. The question being debated, sources said, is whether participating in the Team USA camp will ignite trade talks that deliver him to his preferred destination — the Los Angeles Lakers — or give the Spurs more cause to hold onto Leonard and push him to report to training camp in September.
While teams have been hesitant to offer much for Leonard in a trade because he is only signed through next season, his health has also been a deterrent. It’s not totally clear if Leonard chose to sit out because of his strained relationship with the Spurs or because his quad injury was serious enough, but a recent report about the way his camp handled his rehab last year indicates it could be more of the former. If Leonard attends USA Basketball minicamp and appears fully healthy, it could inspire one or more teams to up their offer.
