Kawhi Leonard wants out of San Antonio and evidently, he does not care who knows it. Will the recent reports of Leonard complaining about not wanting to be in his situation anymore lead to the trade he is reportedly desiring, or could his actions end up working against him?

Leonard wants to be traded to the Lakers

Even though Kawhi Leonard missed most of the 2017-18 season, he is still a player that many teams would love to add to their roster. According to CBS Sports, the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, who can opt out of his contract after next season, is looking for a trade now.

CBS indicates via The San Antonio Express-News that "Leonard has grown uncomfortable with the Spurs and is ready to move.” Early reports indicate that Leonard would prefer to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, that is, if he can get the Spurs to deal him there.

Pitch to keep Leonard

No sports team, especially upper management, wants to keep a player who doesn’t want to be there -- especially if that player becomes very vocal about wanting out. Leonard has been just that, yet the Spurs seem to be trying to find ways to hold on to their rising star.

Deadspin reports that head coach Gregg Popovich and former Spurs superstar Tim Duncan reportedly met with Leonard in New York on Thursday in an attempt to convince him to return to San Antonio for the final year of his contract.

If that is true, is it really something that would benefit the Spurs organization?

Yes, the Spurs would be dealing one of the best players in the game today, however, with Leonard being so vocal about how bad he wants out of San Antonio, it may be killing the leverage that the Spurs have in terns of trade negotiations.

Another problem is Leonard’s teammates.

As indicated by Deadspin, Leonard’s peers in San Antonio expressed their frustration with him several times during the past season, accusing him of sitting out games because he just didn’t want to play -- even after he was medically cleared by team doctors to do so.

While Kawhi Leonard has expressed his recent desire to play for the team he grew up cheering for, the Los Angeles Lakers, he has also been mentioned in rumored trade talks with the Boston Celtics, LA Clippers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers want a sure-fire way to hold onto LeBron James, adding Kawhi Leonard to the roster would do just that.

At this time, most of this is just speculation, but it will be interesting to see how things unfold once free agency kicks into gear.
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