Recent Lakers rumors are that Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs wants out and would prefer to come to Los Angeles.
As the offseason gets closer, Lakers rumors are starting to gain some traction, as Kawhi Leonard reportedly wants out of San Antonio.
Ever since Warriors’ center Zaza Pachulia injured the superstar’s ankle, Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard entered a season filled with a bevy of rumors. Everyone was optimistic for his return. Spurs point guard Tony Parker said that his hamstring injury was “a hundred times worse.” His “group,” most notably his uncle, kept Leonard out of the mix. Even legendary head coach Gregg Popovich said that he never knew when he would play again.
The Spurs have not missed the playoffs since Bill Clinton was president dealing with the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Their progress as a franchise behind both general manager R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich have been unquestionably one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. Leonard was among the last team to win a championship. He won the Finals MVP honors in 2014 by limiting the Miami Heat’s offense, specifically LeBron James.
However, this Spurs dynasty is fragmenting, and is at an endpoint. Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports recently tweeted out that Kawhi Leonard was no longer satisfied with the organizations plans and goals. Leonard is also not concerned about money, per Chris Haynes of ESPN. Haynes said:
"“Kawhi Leonard isn’t concerned about missing out on the supermax, sources tell ESPN. There’s a feeling of betrayal that at this juncture, appears irreperable.”"
ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski also confirmed the reports. He said that his main preferred destination was Los Angeles.
San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard has Los Angeles — preferably the Lakers — at the center of his preferences for a trade destination, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2018
However, Wojnarowski also said that the Spurs won’t move too quickly on the Kawhi Leonard situation. He reported:
"Sources: So far, Leonard has expressed nothing directly to Spurs about future. Lakers and Clippers interest Leonard — and both teams would move quickly to assemble packages to acquire Leonard. Spurs won’t rush. Leonard and his camp had shown interest in $219M super max deal."
The Sacramento Kings also want to plunge into the sweepstakes. Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports announced that general manager Vlade Divac has talked to teams about the No. 2 pick being traded. After losing DeMarcus Cousins via trade in 2017, Leonard could put the Kings back on the map where he to be traded there.
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Nonetheless, the Lakers have many options. They could stand pat like last year when Paul George wanted out of Indiana. With a riled-up fan base and a front office intent on superstardom, expect rumors to be heated in the next three weeks leading up to the first week of July. It would not be unlikely to see a Lakers Big 3 of LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George come mid-October when the season starts again.