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Usually Iโd like to talk about multiple topics, but today there is just one situation that really has me going. So just this once Iโll focus in on one topic for the full blog. Youโll want to stick around, because this could change the face of the NBA and completely rearrange the leagueโs food chain.
It seems like the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes have begun. It has come out that Leonard wants out of San Antonio and that his preferred destination is Los Angeles. Of course, heโd prefer to go to the Lakers instead of the Clippers but that should almost go without saying. But letโs back up a little and recap how we got to this point.
Leonard suffered a devastating injury in game one of the 2016 Western Conference Finals when Zaza Pachulia of the Golden State Warriors stepped under Leonard while he was shooting a baseline jumper. Leonardโs left foot came down on Pachuliaโs and he suffered an ankle injury that kicked this whole drama off. The Warriors swept the Spurs in the series and went on to win the NBA championship.
What came next was a long rehab and a complete mishandling of the situation by the Spurs who are usually really good at dealing with these situations. Leonard played in just nine games this season and the Spurs had one of their worst seasons in years. It was the first time the team did not have at least 50 wins since the 1998-99 season.
Leonard took a lot of criticism from fans and other sources because the Spurs announced he was cleared to play, but he chose to continue to sit and not push himself to play. People accused him of being soft, selfish, and not caring about his team. He was transformed from a hero to a villain in a matter of months and it wasnโt fair at all.
But look at it this way, Leonard is just 26 years old and has many years ahead of him. He was an MVP candidate last year and has already won two Defensive Player of the Year awards. He is the best two-way player in the league and, in my opinion, the fourth best player in the world. Heโs at least in the top tier of NBA players, in public opinion. He had every right to make the call he did and choose to wait until he felt he was one-hundred percent. The Spurs and fans shouldโve trusted him. I mean heโs the reason the Spurs won the championship a few years ago!
We can never be sure, but if the Spurs had simply given one of the most private players in the league the privacy and respect he deserved, then they might have had him for years to come. Instead it looks like theyโre going to lose one of the greatest players of this generation. I cannot stress how much this couldโve been avoided. Weโve all come to expect more from the Spurs and Greg Popovich, but they botched this one.
Things got worse for the Spurs and their fans this past week when ESPNโs Chris Haynes has reported that Leonardโs relationship with the Spurs may now be โirreparableโ. Despite the lack of trust and disgruntled feelings, just because Leonard wants to leave the Spurs doesnโt mean he will this offseason. Much like the situation with Kyrie Irving last year, Leonard is under contract for 2018 and has a player option in 2019. So at most heโs under contract for two more years, but something tells me if he stays with the team he wonโt be picking up that option next year.
Basically heโs under contract for one more year and after that heโs gone. The Spurs have to weigh the options of losing him for nothing in a year or trading him now and realizing theyโll never get a player in return that is as good as him. Thereโs no winning situation. Honestly though, if the team holds Leonard against his will theyโll still lose to the Warriors next year. Even with Leonard they just canโt match that team of four All-Stars. From that angle, it makes more sense to trade Leonard now.
And thatโs about the full recap of the situation. People will speculate for weeks, months even, how this will unfold. Fans will be busy creating their โdream tradesโ to find ways to get Leonard on their favorite team. Itโs going to be fun to see all of those options come out, but we have to remember that they mean absolutely nothing. For all we know Leonard will be back with the Spurs next year, or he might not be traded until just before the deadline in the middle of the season. Itโs all a guessing game.
There are two dream scenarios that I found interesting and Iโm sure youโve heard of them. What will happen in the western conference if the Lakers trade for Leonard, and sign LeBron James and Paul George (talk about a return to Showtime)? The other is a potential trade with the Boston Celtics for Irving or Gordon Hayward and some draft pick(s). That move would create a super team with five All-Star caliber players: Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Irving/Gordon, Leonard, and Jayson Tatum. Both of these situations would alter the NBA for years to come. Then again, thereโs a reason why theyโre called dreamย scenarios.
If you enjoy hearing from the legends of pro sports, then be sure to tune into โThe Grueling Truthโ sports shows, โWhere the legends speakโ
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