Kawhi Leonard Trade Rumors: Will The Spurs Deal One Of The NBA's Best Players In 2018?

There are two major questions looming over the upcoming NBA offseason. The first revolves around the future of LeBron James and where he might play in the 2018-2019 offseason. That’s been a topic of conversation for the last year because James can opt out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer.

The second question is one that developed over the course of the regular season, and one that nobody could’ve foreseen coming just a few months ago: Will the San Antonio Spurs trade Kawhi Leonard?

Unlike James, Leonard has one more year on his deal before he’s eligible to hit free agency. Even at just over $20 million, Leonard is a bargain, considering 41 players are set to have a higher salary than him for the 2018-2019 season. It was just a year ago that Leonard was making the argument to be considered the second-best player on the planet, and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich called his star the best player in the league.

Then came Leonard’s quadriceps injury that kept him out for all but nine games and forced him to miss the playoffs. ESPN has detailed the friction between Leonard and the organization with multiple reports, citing the differing opinions on what is actually wrong with Leonard. San Antonio cleared the forward for action months before the postseason, while Leonard didn’t feel he was ready and continued his rehab away from the team.

Leonard wasn’t on the bench during San Antonio’s first-round series with the Golden State Warriors.

Popovich was often visibly frustrated with Leonard’s absence when asked about it by reporters. He seemed to take some not-so-subtle jabs at Leonard after his team’s Game 2 loss to Golden State when he praised LaMarcus Aldridge for “playing through adversity and being there for his teammates.”

According to longtime NBA writer Peter Vecsey, the Spurs are ready to move on from Leonard. The report (via Amico Hoops) claims that Popovich didn’t want Leonard at team practices, and it cites a Western Conference executive that is convinced Leonard will be traded.

Plenty of reporters that cover the NBA share that feeling and believe there’s little chance Leonard will wear a Spurs’ uniform next year. If Leonard is likely to head elsewhere when he becomes a free agent in 2019, San Antonio could look to make sure they don’t lose one of the league's top players without getting something in return.

That doesn’t mean the Spurs will just give Leonard away. They’ll want a large haul if they are going to trade away a two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner and the 2014 NBA Finals MVP.

Multiple NBA executives have told The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor that San Antonio will only trade Leonard for a “grand-slam offer.” That could mean waiting until well beyond the draft before pulling the trigger on a trade or even keeping Leonard for the start of the season.

There’s certainly a chance that Leonard and the Spurs will reach some sort of reconciliation. Aldridge asked to be traded last summer and wound up signing a contract extension with San Antonio. The Spurs still have the option of offering Leonard the “super-max” this summer, which would allow them to give him a contract worth around $70 million more than what any other team could offer.

Leonard is so good when healthy that it might not be long before San Antonio gets an offer that they find suitable. O’Connor and others have suggested a trade between the Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers that would include Markelle Fultz, Dario Saric, Robert Covington and the No.10 overall pick in June’s draft. 76ers head coach Brett Brown said the team needs help to win a championship, and Philadelphia is reportedly ready to make a splash this offseason.

Maybe the Los Angeles Lakers would offer the Spurs a package surrounding Brandon Ingram. Perhaps the Los Angeles Clippers could put together a suitable deal involving their two lottery picks. Leonard could be traded in a deal that no one has talked about, much like last year’s Paul George trade that has worked out extremely well for the Indiana Pacers.

No matter where Leonard ultimately ends up, you can be sure to hear plenty of reports about his future until he’s either traded or signs a contract extension.