Kawhi Leonard Trade Rumors: Lakers, Knicks, 76ers Thought To Be Possible Destinations

There are plenty of interesting nuggets in ESPN’s latest report about Kawhi Leonard and the saga surrounding his season-ending quadriceps injury. The bit of information that has made most news is the notion that the San Antonio Spurs are concerned that members of Leonard’s camp will push him to force a trade.

“Multiple league sources also told ESPN that the Spurs have grown worried that Leonard's group has an ulterior motive to fray the relationship and get Leonard traded to a larger market such as Los Angeles (Leonard's hometown) or New York or Philadelphia,” the report reads.

ESPN reported earlier this season that the relationship between the Spurs and Leonard had become “strained” because of the way the injury was being handled. Leonard was cleared to play by San Antonio’s medical team in December, but he played his last game of the season on Jan. 13 after just a nine-game return. Still feeling pain, Leonard decided to shut himself down and rehab under Dr. Jonathan Glashow, an orthopedic surgeon and co-chair of Sports Medicine at New York City's Mount Sinai Medical Center.

“It's out of our hands,” a Spurs’ staffer told ESPN regarding Leonard’s medical care.

All of this comes at a critical point during Leonard’s NBA career. He’s got two years and more than $41 million left on his contract with the option to become a free agent following the 2018-2019 season. Because he was selected to an All-NBA team in two of the last three years, Leonard is eligible to sign a five-year, $219 million “supermax” contract.

When Leonard led the Spurs to the 2017 Western Conference Finals and looked like he might be the best NBA player not named LeBron James, it seemed obvious that San Antonio would offer their star the record-setting deal. Amid this season’s developments, it’s not clear that either side is ready to make that commitment.

If the Spurs don’t sign Leonard to a contract extension this offseason, it’d be a pretty safe bet to assume the team will explore trade options. San Antonio can get a lot in return for Leonard, despite his current injury, and they likely won’t allow themselves to lose him for nothing as a free agent next year.

Leonard certainly wouldn’t have a shortage of suitors. He’s just 26 years old with a resume that includes an NBA Finals MVP award and two Defensive Player of the Year awards. Leonard finished second and third, respectively, in the 2016 and 2017 regular-season MVP voting, and he appeared to take another leap last postseason by averaging 27.7 points per game on 52.5 percent shooting.

So what about Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia as potential destinations? If Leonard does decide that he wants to end up in one of those cities, there’s a good chance that will happen.

Just look at what Chris Paul did last offseason, forcing a trade to his preferred destination of Houston when he was about to become a free agent.

Of course, things don’t always work out that way. The Indiana Pacers sent Paul George to Oklahoma City when no one counted the Thunder as a suitor for the small forward. Kyrie Irving was unexpectedly dealt to the Boston Celtics when the point guard made it known he wanted out of Cleveland.

Even before ESPN reported that San Antonio was concerned Leonard might want to play elsewhere, there had been speculation that maybe Boston could make an offer for the star forward this summer. They’ve got young players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well a future draft picks, that could potentially make a deal work.

Leonard is with the Spurs for now, and he could still sign a long-term deal to remain with the team. LaMarcus Aldridge has admitted that he asked for a trade last summer, and head coach Gregg Popovich was able to rectify the situation, which resulted in the big man signing a contract extension.

At the very least, it's a situation worth monitoring as we approach an offseason that could see multiple superstars switch teams and change the landscape of the league.