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Lakers Rumors: Spurs unwilling to trade Kawhi Leonard in the West

By Nick Ziegler

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 02: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs warms up before the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 02, 2018 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 02: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs warms up before the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 02, 2018 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /
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Recent Lakers rumors are the San Antonio Spurs aren’t interested in moving Kawhi Leonard to any team in the Western Conference.

Coming into the NBA Draft, there was plenty of Lakers rumors about who they would be taking and potential trades. One of the players that were at the center of those rumors was Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard sat out most of the season for the Spurs with a quad injury, and this offseason it has been reported that he wants out of San Antonio. With preferred destination being the Lakers, they obviously inquired, but were shut down quickly.

Understandably, the Spurs don’t want to trade one of the best players in the league to the team he reportedly wants to go too. In addition to that, the Lakers have also been a rival of the Spurs over the years.

Recently Sam Amick of USA Today reported that the Spurs not only don’t want to trade Leonard to the Lakers, but they don’t want to trade him within the Western Conference. Here’s what he had to say.

"But in the days that followed, the Spurs wasted no time in sending this message all around the NBA: The only Western Conference team he might be playing for is theirs."

Since Leonard is the type of player that can instantly make a team a playoff contender, the Spurs certainly don’t want him to become a thorn in their side in the Western Conference. With the Golden State Warriors already being a tough team to deal with, trading Leonard to a team like the Lakers would have certainly increased the odds of them being able to sign James.

Since the NBA Draft has come and gone, the Spurs still have Leonard as of now. While a trade can happen in summer, it appears like the Spurs are hoping that they can fix the relationship.

With Leonard being a great player in the prime of his career, the Spurs are being smart for trying everything they can to keep Leonard. However, losing him in free agency for nothing next season would be a very tough pill to swallow.

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As of now, the Spurs don’t appear to have any intentions of sending Leonard to a team in the West. However, that can all change if the right offer is placed on the table.

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