Kawhi Leonard has entered the rumor mill right after requesting a trade. The latest rumor is that the defensive stalwart won't likely be traded before July 1.
Speaking with Ethan Strauss on the podcast The House of Strauss, NBA veteran reporter Marc Stein said that it is highly unlikely that Leonard will be traded before July 1:
“Very unlikely…. Not gonna happen…. Unless there's some ‘knock your socks off' offer on draft night that we don't see coming. At this point I really don't think the Spurs are even entertaining it…”
Though the 26-year-old requested for a trade, the decision is still up to the Spurs if they'll grant his request or not. Reports say that he prefers going to the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, since the news surfaced online, other teams expressed interest in pursuing Leonard. Such teams include the Sacramento Kings, L.A. Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics. No offers have been placed on the table as of the moment. Perhaps the teams are weighing Leonard's worth.
Perhaps the main risk in trading Leonard is the receiving team will have to convince him to stay for more than just a year. Leonard has a player option worth $21.3 million for the 2019-20 season. This means that he can choose to enter the unrestricted free agent market next season.
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