Kawhi Leonard will almost certainly try to pick his next team if he is successful in forcing his way out of San Antonio, but that does not mean the Spurs have any interest in granting him his wish.
According to NBA reporter Chris Sheridan, there is a “0 percent chance” Gregg Popovich and the Spurs will entertain the idea of trading Leonard to the Los Angeles Lakers or any other Western Conference team.
Sources: There is a 0 percent chance the #Spurs trade @kawhileonard to a Western Conference team. ZEEEEE-Row. Column: https://t.co/6OX85eL1K3
— Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) June 17, 2018
Leonard doesn’t have a no-trade clause, so the Spurs don’t have to trade him anywhere they don’t want to. Still, he has some leverage in that he can refuse to sign a long-term extension with certain teams, which would discourage said teams from making respectable offers.
As Sheridan puts it, Popovich would “gladly take 75 cents on the dollar for Kawhi if he could send him out of the West.” If that’s the case, some of the teams we have already heard that could potentially make a play for Leonard would be out of the running.
