The San Antonio Spurs announced on Saturday that Kawhi Leonard has left the team again dashing the hopes that he would be back on the court with the team this season and further meddling his whole future with the organization.
After yesterday’s 100-83 upset of the Houston Rockets (sans Chris Paul) the question seems to be, do the Spurs even really want Leonard on the team?
It’s clear that a healthy Leonard definitely makes the Spurs better, but they have been doing just fine without him recently. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have climbed to the fourth spot in the Western Conference at a time when LaMarcus Aldridge seems to be thriving without Leonard on the team.
Led by strong performances from Aldridge and Rudy Gay, the Spurs held Houston to season lows in points, field-goal percentage, three-pointers made and assists.
That has to be both good and reassuring for Spurs fans because, without Leonard, the team is going to need those players peaking in the playoffs if they want to have any kind of long run.
Leonard traveled back to New York to see his private doctor there and working out in the gym of the Players Association. Leonard left San Antonio and his teammates in the aftermath of the increasing tension level surrounding his disconnect with the team.
Leonard clearly is currently thinking that he is in no condition to play, although the Spurs’ medical staff disagrees with him and has cleared him to return to the lineup. This difference in medical opinions has evolved into an increasingly uncomfortable and awkward situation.
The situation gets further muddled with the fact that this summer Leonard is eligible for his supermax contract extension. While it used to be considered a no-brainer extension, this situation must be making the Spurs wonder if it’s worth it to pay him the additional $219 million over five years.
It will also be interesting to see what approach Leonard takes as he supposedly has felt that the Spurs have undercut him. He could choose to walk away, or he could accept the deal and then ask for a trade in a year or two.
If Leonard and the Spurs can’t reach an extension agreement, it’s highly probable that he will be available on the trade block this NBA offseason putting the reliability and stability of Spurs on the line.
