Kawhi Leonard has been advertised throughout his career as the perfect model of the San Antonio Spurs system. As what former Memphis head coach David Fizdale said during last year’s playoffs, Kawhi isn’t human and he bleeds anti-freeze.

Leonard is the silent assassin, the second coming of Tim Duncan, and most importantly, he is everything the Spurs stand for until veteran NBA insiders Adrian Wojnarowski and Michael C. Wright dropped a report about a brewing tension between the star and the organization.

The Spurs have been a first-class organization ever since Gregg Popovich (president and head coach) and RC Buford (general manager) occupied the team’s top executive roles.

They have never encountered any major relationship strain with stars like Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili before because they always addressed the issue in its infancy.

Clashing philosophies

Hearing this kind of news is quite uncomforting for any Spurs fans, knowing the fact that Leonard’s free agency looming in the background. ESPN analysts Jalen Rose and Stephen A. Smith had their chance to discuss the building soap opera in San Antonio, and they are too are very concerned about the star’s future with his current team.

Kawhi wants out? Probably not right now, at least. Rose might be a bit exaggerating here, but he’s also not wrong in saying that Leonard craves for a superstar-level teammate.

He’s hungry for another crack at the championship, and he knows that having LaMarcus Aldridge as a sidekick won’t be enough to topple the Golden State Warriors in the west.

The Spurs, on the other hand, still want to take a conservative approach. They spent a combined $108.5 million in the offseason for aging frontcourt players like Aldridge and Pau Gasol because they have remained steadfast believers that experience and interior dominance still wins the championship.

What is happening right now within the Spurs is a clash of philosophies. Leonard is screaming for help, but Pop and RC keep saying trust the process. All of a sudden, the Spurs system is testing Kawhi’s patience and loyalty. This tug-of-war that may not bode well for the franchise, with Leonard’s free agency (can waive player option to become an unrestricted free agent in 2019) looming in the background.

The King looking for rightful heir

Somewhere in the East is another player rumored to be leaving his current team soon. His name is LeBron James and he’s searching for the rightful heir whom he will pass his torch and the title as the best player in the world. Leonard, who is arguably the second-best player in the world (just ask Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal to name a few), would definitely entertain the idea of joining forces with LeBron. Who’s not?

LeBron, barring miracles, is heading to La la la land. Some insiders say it’s the Rockets, others think it’s the Sixers. However, the spoils of L.A (expanding business, enhancing legacy and playing with a historic team) are too much for him to ignore.

Magic Johnson openly said in past interviews that he will reserve their cap room if the Lakers don’t land Paul George, LeBron James or another game-changer next summer. There’s a chance LeBron stay one more year in Cleveland (opting into the third year of his contract) before he finally bolts out once again in 2019 - the year when Kawhi is expected to hit the market.

Leonard, despite his meek personality, is a competitive junkie. Deep inside lies a desire to be like LeBron. He wants fame, millions of cash and of course, more titles. The fastest way to attain all of that is to team up with a proven winner, and that’s LeBron.

Their partnership might be the least expected given the polarity of their characters, but it can happen. It can happen with the Spurs (especially if they do away Aldridge and Gasol deals). It can happen in Los Angeles. The bottom-line is Kawhi-LeBron tandem is the next big superteam waiting to unfold.
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