The San Antonio Spurs made it to their 21st straight playoff appearance following their crucial win over the Sacramento Kings. However, it remains unsure if their superstar Kawhi Leonard will suit up and help the Spurs in their postseason campaign. As of now, Leonard is still rehabilitating his injured quad, and there’s still no clear timetable for his return. While he’s out, rumors continue to swirl about the possibility of Leonard being traded in the offseason after reports about the discord between his camp and the Spurs’ front office. While both camps denied the report, the possibility that Leonard could be wearing a different uniform remains.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, several general managers have expressed interest in calling the Spurs to inquire about the availability of Leonard via trade. Zach Lowe confirmed Windhorst’s report, saying “vultures are circling, in hopes of action around the draft.” Currently, Leonard is under contract for two more years before he turns unrestricted free agent in 2020. After that, he’s eligible to sign a maximum contract that could surpass the $201 million deal signed by Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors recently. If ever the Spurs decide to trade Leonard, several teams could come up with a package of players to acquire the versatile forward who was a finalist for the MVP trophy last season.
Celtics have the pieces to trade for Leonard
According to Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, the Boston Celtics could ship forward Marcus Morris, point guard Terry Rozier, rising star Jayson Tatum, center Daniel Theis and their 2019 protected first-round pick to the Spurs for Leonard. Jackie MacMullan of ESPN said Tatum could be the key to convincing the Spurs to ship Leonard as he has a bright future ahead of him.
If they succeed, the Celtics could become the powerhouse team in the East with Leonard playing alongside Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford.
Cavaliers could convince James to stay by getting Leonard
LeBron James is expected to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time when he becomes a free agent at the end of this season.
However, the Cavaliers could convince him to stay if they could get Leonard via trade. Earlier, it was reported that the Cavaliers are closely monitoring Leonard’s situation with the Spurs. If they determine that Leonard’s relationship with the Spurs is beyond repair, the Cavaliers could trade George Hill, Kyle Korver, Cedi Osman, Ante Zizic and the 2018 unprotected first-round pick to San Antonio.
76ers could also pursue Leonard
The Philadelphia 76ers have lived up to their billing as one of the promising teams in the NBA after clinching a playoff spot. However, the 76ers could take it up another notch next season by trading for Leonard. Favale said the 76ers could ship Jerryd Bayless, No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Dario Saric and a 2018 first-round pick to the Spurs for Leonard.
