Kawhi Leonard will likely take a crack at USA Basketball's minicamp despite his reported feud with the San Antonio Spurs in recent months, along with the trade talks that have swarmed the organization for the last couple of months.
The Spurs have reportedly spoken to nine different teams after Leonard's trade request was made public, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.
“San Antonio has been determined in demanding a sizable return on Leonard. Still, the bidding war among Boston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles Lakers never materialized. The Los Angeles Clippers, Denver, Phoenix, Portland, Toronto and Washington are among teams who've talked with San Antonio, league sources said.”
Leonard's potential participation in this minicamp (which would likely be led by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who took over for Mike Krzyzewski as Team USA's next head coach), could ramp up his trade value, as teams are still concerned over the state of his quad after playing in only nine games last season.
The other concern would be Leonard's willingness to remain with a team after being traded. But if his physical abilities look close to normal, teams could be more eager to take the gamble and hope to convince him to stay throughout the regular season before he hits free agency next summer.
The Oklahoma City Thunder gambled and won the jackpot with Paul George, who signed a four-year, $137 million deal to stay with the team when free agency began.
Others around the league could hope Leonard would be willing to leave his desires of signing with L.A. for a more welcoming environment.
Follow Us
Subscribe