The never-ending saga of Kawhi Leonard has planted a seed of doubt on those who thought his impending five-year, $219 million max extension was a foregone conclusion. For some front offices around the league, this season has shown the fissure in a San Antonio Spurs culture that most had deemed bulletproof after two decades' worth of exemplary behavior.

“There's a crack in the ‘Spurs Way,'” a Western Conference executive told Ken Berger of Bleacher Report. “The bottom line is, every team goes through it. And now they are.”

Others think the issues between the 26-year-old star forward have gone beyond repair, having strained the ties throughout this long season.

“I'm surprised beyond belief that this thing got to the point that it did,” said a league source who has dealt frequently with the Spurs.

“Can the relationship be salvaged?”

“I don't think it can,” the Western Conference executive said. “At the end of the day, Kawhi wants out.”

Many will rely on a 20-plus year legacy of dealing with issues internally, but issues have gone beyond player-to-coach, but have become between representation and franchise — which bodes a very different challenge.

A different Western Conference executive said teams are “lining up to try to do something” if the Spurs choose to indeed trade Leonard this summer, but thus far, the jury is still out on Leonard, and the franchise has shown no interest in making moves just yet.

“The Spurs want to try to make things work right now and aren't interested,” the exec said.

Teams will have to toe the line carefully, feeling out the situation as it progresses, with no sign of progress or interaction since the Spurs' season ended last month.