Kawhi Leonard’s situation with the San Antonio Spurs has gained some attention from the national media these days, triggering a cascade of speculation about the future of the dominant two-way star in Texas. If no super-max extension (5-year, $219 MM) is agreed upon this summer, Leonard will hit the market as an unrestricted free agent in 2019, and insiders are already anticipating a long list of suitors for the MVP-caliber player.

Although it’s a little bit premature to think of a potential trade that would ship Leonard out of San Antonio, the Spurs are definitely on the clock to flank him with some serious talents who can help him capture another championship down the road.

Jalen Rose of ESPN believed the inability of the Spurs’ front-office to attract marquee free agents the past few years is testing the patience of their franchise player. Another issue that is causing tension between the Spurs and Kawhi is the mishandling of player’s quad injury that has kept him in and out of the lineup this season.

Super-Lakers

One potential route Leonard could explore if things don’t work out well with the Spurs is forming his own super-team elsewhere. The Los Angeles Lakers will have a massive cap space this summer, giving them the ability to add a bona fide superstar to a roster that is already headlined by promising players such as Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram.

LeBron James undoubtedly tops Magic Johnson’s free agency list, and the Lakers will go hard at the four-time NBA MVP if he ever becomes available after this season. The best thing about the Lakers’ cap situation is they can still create space for one more max-level free agent, provided they find a way to dump Luol Deng’s $17M per year deal.

Several insiders are reporting that Los Angeles may preserve that additional max-level cap space until Leonard becomes a free agent two years from now, especially if Paul George decides to stick with OKC on a long-term deal.

The LeBron-Kawhi tandem is certainly tantalizing since it features two of the most dominant all-around players in the game today.

Of course, there’s a lot of moving parts that need to be done before this kind of a star-studded partnership becomes a reality. But there’s no denying that stars are starting to align towards that path.

Warriors bigs transactions

The Warriors are reportedly targeting New York Knicks big-man Kyle O’Quinn, who is putting up efficient numbers in limited playing time (6.8 PPG and 5,8 RPG in 17MPG). Golden State has been on a lookout for a big who can play spot-up minutes while rookie Jordan Bell is recovering from an ankle injury.

O’Quinn would provide the toughness Steve Kerr seeks from his frontcourt brigade, while his ability to knock down jumpers from the three-point area makes him a perfect fit with the Warriors’ offense.

Another move the Warriors could consider is shipping disgruntled center JaVale McGee. After winning his first NBA championship last year, the athletic big man re-signed on a one-year, veteran minimum deal last summer to reinforce the Warriors’ frontcourt. However, the emergence of Bell as the center of the future has made him dispensable.

The Milwaukee Bucks have shown interest in trading for McGee, but they can only give up a second-round pick as compensation. McGee, who averages 8.3 RPG and 3.1 BPG per 36 MPG this season, would address the Bucks’ frontcourt deficiency.
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