San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard is one of the most mild-mannered superstars in the NBA. He's quiet and he's usually to himself most of the time Head coach Gregg Popovich has repeatedly praised Leonard for his hard work over the years, and he is without of doubt one of Popovich's favorite players.

In 2014, Leonard exploded onto the NBA scene, outdueling LeBron James in the NBA Finals to help the Spurs win their fifth championship. In that year, Leonard won the Finals MVP, and his rise to stardom continues after winning two consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2016 and 2017. He also improved his scoring game, becoming one the league's best two-way players.

Unfortunately for Leonard, he experienced a nasty ankle injury in last year's Western Conference Finals that sidelined him for the rest of the series. After that, Leonard has sustained multiple injuries that have hindered him all year. Rumors have started to circulate that Leonard has begun feeling dissatisfied with the Spurs for not being cleared to return this season. Those rumors were put on halt when Leonard announced that he would not be returning this season despite being medically cleared to do so.

Kawhi Leonard
ClutchPoints

However, according to Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express, Leonard's true feelings may come out when he is offered a super-max contract this summer.

Leonard’s contentious return from tendinopathy treatment comes amid reports of a strained relationship between the player and the team. Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford have denied or downplayed the tension. Leonard has not addressed the media since reports of a fissure surfaced. The true answer will likely come this summer, if and when Leonard is offered the supermax.

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The lockdown defender has played in just nine games so far this season with averages of 16.2 points on 46.8 field goal shooting percentage, 2.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds. Leonard has not played in more than 74 games in a season since entering the league in 2011 as a first-round pick by the Indiana Pacers.

Who knows what's truly on the horizon amid these rumors. Hopefully, Kawhi Leonard can come out and address them himself soon.