With Kawhi Leonard’s future in San Antonio becoming murkier with each passing day, an important corps player on the team is reportedly gearing up for a possible exit this coming summer, according to a reliable league source.

The Spurs, who are currently in a tight battle for a playoff spot, could lose yet another member of their championship team from back in 2014. An anonymous source revealed that veteran sharp-shooter Danny Green is seriously considering a change of scenery once he hits the market as an unrestricted free agent.

Danny looking for greener pastures

Green is currently earning $10 million in the second year of the three-year contract he signed in 2016. Although he has a player’s option that would pay him the same amount next season, the 30-year-old veteran feels this offseason will be the right time to opt out of the deal and parlay his market value into a bigger contract.

Unfortunately, the Spurs will have a hard time meeting Green’s asking price unless they trade some of their big earners on the roster for cap space. San Antonio’s payroll for the 2018-19 NBA season is projected at $98 million, and re-signing Green to another eight-figure deal will push the franchise into the luxury tax threshold.

Another factor that significantly limits the Spurs’ ability to offer Green a competitive paycheck is Leonard’s upcoming contract extension talks this summer.

The All-Star wingman is eligible for a super-max extension worth $219 million over five years. Keeping Leonard in the fold would mean the end of the Spurs’ payroll flexibility, leaving them with little wiggle room to re-sign veterans or tweak their lineup moving forward.

Hurt feelings

Green’s desire to play elsewhere apparently goes beyond money.

According to the source, the veteran felt slighted by the Spurs’ front office when they tried to offer him to the Los Angeles Clippers for defensive-oriented guard Avery Bradley at the trade deadline. The Spurs have been trying to move the veteran for quite some time, but they just couldn’t find a workable deal for him.

With his free agency looming in the background, Green recently signed with Jay-Z's sports management company, Roc Nation Sports, which also represents Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant, Dallas Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant, and other elite athletes.

Green is averaging 8.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 26.1 minutes per game this season. He’s also shooting 40.6 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent from beyond the arc. Under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich, the former North Carolina standout has blossomed into a very good two-way player, becoming one of the key pieces for the Spurs in their championship run a few years ago. Last year, Green’s commitment to defense paid off, as he was named to the NBA All-Defensive second team for the first time in his career.
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