The divide between Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs can be narrowed down to a rift between the star forward and coach Gregg Popovich, who haven't seen eye to eye in recent memory.
Popovich has mentioned Leonard “and his group” more than once now during interviews — a clear sign that the long-tenured 69-year-old believes people close to Leonard have much to do with his absence.
Leonard's “group” is believed to be a reference to agent Mitch Frankel and Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, according to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
“It is unclear if Leonard and Popovich can even have that same kind of meeting, or if things between Leonard’s camp and the Spurs have grown so fractious that it’s past that point,” wrote Bontemps. “Even if Leonard and Popovich can have such a meeting, could it create the same result?
Without that happening, it seems impossible to think this ends any other way than with Leonard being traded this summer. Just like Jimmy Butler and DeMarcus Cousins before him, the supermax has become a zero-sum game for teams.”
It's hard to say that there are strong indications that Leonard would turn down a max offer, given that he simply does not talk to the media unless he absolutely has to or is forced by the team.
Leonard has yet to say much other than he hoped to “retire a Spur” — but that was months ago, with the rift between Pop and his All-Defensive Team prodigy growing since then.
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