With the 2018 NBA Draft now in the books and Kawhi Leonard still a member of the San Antonio Spurs, the team may be looking to keep it that way.
Addressing reporters after the draft, Spurs GM RC Buford indicated a desire to keep the disgruntled former All-Star around longterm. Buford also admitted that the team wished that “things would have gone differently at times,” according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
R.C. Buford on Kawhi: "Our goal is to keep him as a part of our program
for a long time." #Spurs— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) June 22, 2018
Asked if the club believes it made mistakes during the Kawhi saga, Buford said, "I think all of us would wish that things would have gone differently at times." #Spurs
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) June 22, 2018
The Spurs remained quiet on the Leonard front during the draft, choosing instead to keep their moves exclusively to their picks: Miami guard Lonnie Walker IV at No. 18 overall and USC big man Chimezie Metu at No. 49.
Leonard clearly wants out of San Antonio. But since he is still under contract for one more year and the Spurs seem to be rebuffing interested potential trade partners, a lengthy stalemate may ensue as the summer progresses.
