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The Spurs plan for the future is looking tumultuous. Greg Popovich and the Spurs planned to make Kawhi Leonard their center piece, but now it doesn’t look like a sure thing. Kawhi is an MVP caliber player when healthy. His health status is uncertain. For the first time in his career there appears to be disagreements between him and the organization.
At this point no one knows Kawhi’s intentions. It seems almost certain that he will not return to San Antonio this season. The main reason for his absence is his recent development of tendonopathy. It is a condition that affects the tendons in his quad, and the only way to heal it is rest. It seems that the Spurs organization and Greg Popovich are upset that Kawhi has not returned to play. He did attempt a return with limited minutes over a month ago, but the pain in his quad limited his ability.
Kawhi is also handling the injury with his private doctors in New York. He spent the last week away from the team.
ESPN reporting with @mikecwright on Kawhi Leonard returning to New York for rehab and no clear date on a return to San Antonio. https://t.co/UZndPpR7Qg
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 31, 2018
Kawhi is a two time DPOY, four time All-Defense, and two time All-NBA. He is a coveted asset in today’s league, and its going to be an interesting summer for him. He becomes a free agent after this season and the Spurs can offer him a super max deal worth over 200 million dollars and 5 years.
It is unclear if Leonard plans on returning to San Antonio next year, or taking his talents elsewhere. It is also unclear, after the recent injuries, if the Spurs would offer him the max.
NBA teams are preparing to inquire about the availability of Kawhi Leonard, reports @WindhorstESPN https://t.co/PODJ7HqRjx pic.twitter.com/Lm3u9og1iH
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) April 3, 2018
According to ESPN multiple GMs are preparing offers for Leonard when the season ends in June. Brian Windhorst believes that the most likely scenario is that Leonard will remain with the Spurs. Even the idea of Kawhi leaving San Antonio has not been considered until now. The Spurs have made it clear that Leonard is their guy. That statement isn’t a sure thing.
What on earth is going on with Kawhi Leonard?
"That's a simple question with a complicated answer." – @WindhorstESPN pic.twitter.com/DwjLcG5lka— Outside The Lines (@OTLonESPN) April 2, 2018
