The drama surrounding the San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard is finally over after he was traded to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan. It was a relationship that was strained mostly because of differences in opinion between the team’s medical staff and the second opinion that the player received along with his own personal assessment.
During the whole process, fans and the media had either sided with the Spurs or Leonard. But with the superstar forward never giving a statement in public about his thoughts on the ongoing issue, Leonard has been seen as a prima donna by many.
This is including ESPN’s Michelle Beadle who is a longtime Spurs fan.
“What part of Kawhi Leonard’s behavior in the last year, and every story that’s come out in the last several weeks, says anything about this dude having any of the qualities that a leader is supposed to have?” Beadle said. “You don’t talk, you don’t defend yourself. You’re coming off as an obnoxious diva. You don’t want to go play with LeBron because you want to be the top dog. You are the top dog for a team and an organization that’s done really well for many, many years that you don’t have the respect and you have the audacity to try to ignore – and you continue to cash those $18 million dollar checks?
I’m so over this dude. The city of San Antonio is over this dude. You can go as soon as they get whatever they want for you, but if you think you’re just going to walk out of there and get your way because you’ve thrown this little spoiled hissy fit and become one of the most unlikable characters.
I’ve never seen a heel turn like this in a way that is not enjoyable. You are no longer a person I root for. You are someone who has just shown every quality of a spoiled, entitled person and you don’t even have the strength to speak for yourself. What are you doing with your career?”
His image may have taken a hit with the fans and the media, but what about the teams who are eyeing him as a free agent next season?
There’s a chance that teams may be wary of signing Leonard as a free agent next season because of how he handled the whole fiasco with the Spurs.
Kawhi Leonard's Injury
Leonard was limited to just nine games last season. The 6-foot-7 forward had been injured in Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals and never returned. During the 2017-18 season, however, a mysterious quad injury kept him out more than the playoff injury did. He had already been cleared to play by the Spurs’ doctors but Leonard had refused to play. He also felt that the injury hadn’t fully healed and consequently begged off from playing.
He didn’t want to rule out a return to the lineup any time during the latter part of the season, thinking that he could come back when he felt like it. The Spurs, who had been struggling at the time, were uncertain of Leonard’s status and were frustrated by the way his representatives were handling the process. They couldn’t declare him out for the season and it seemed that the only way the Spurs could make it back to the playoffs was if Leonard returned.
The Spurs had eventually found their winning ways but not before they felt that Leonard wasn’t being truthful.
Frustrated Spurs
Coach Gregg Popovich and veteran point guard Tony Parker either took shots at his management group which was headed by his uncle or questioned the severity of Leonard’s injury. All the while, Leonard never spoke to the media nor did he release an official statement. There was nothing but silence from the player who many already know to be a quiet and unassuming superstar.
But this was ridiculous.
The only time anyone heard about anything from Leonard’s side was through the media “leaking” information about his thoughts or feelings on the matter, but not once did he address the questions and concerns regarding his health, and other matters, head on.
Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News reported that Popovich appeared to be dumbfounded as to his forward’s plans:
“I don’t know when he and his group are going to feel like they are ready to go,” Popovich said before Sunday’s game against Houston. “If I knew, he’d be here. When he and his group feel he’s ready, then he’ll be ready.”
Calling his management team “his group” were fighting words to Leonard, words he didn’t appreciate.
Orsborn also reported that Tony Parker belittled Kawhi Leonard’s injury:
“I’ve been through it. It was a rehab for me for eight months. Same kind of injury (as Kawhi), but mine was a hundred times worse,” Parker said. “But the same kind of injury. You just stay positive.”
This statement from his teammate was the last straw for Leonard, one that led to the inevitable.
Trade Request
Because of how the Spurs handled his injury and questioned his integrity, Leonard felt that there was no longer any hope of reconciliation between him and the team including the entire organization. He wanted nothing to do with San Antonio and reportedly requested to be traded, specifically to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Leonard wanted to return to his hometown. If he was leaving his old team, there was no other place to go except L.A.
Popovich had to fly to San Diego where Leonard was prior to the 2018 NBA Draft to help reconcile with his estranged star. Unfortunately, there was no turning back for Leonard who felt that the bridge had been burned beyond repair.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN,
“Leonard had told confidants that he did not want to sit down with Popovich and has been purposely difficult for the Spurs to reach recently. Among the issues, Leonard is angry over what he believes was the Spurs' mishandling of his quad injury, and he remains irate with public comments from teammate Tony Parker and Popovich that he felt were not supportive of him, league sources said.”
The Trade
Last Wednesday, the Spurs sent Leonard packing along with Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick.
Shortly after the trade, a tweet from ESPN’s Chris Haynes’ sources said that Leonard was disinterested in playing for his new team.
Later, Wojnarowski reported a possible change of heart from Leonard. For now, at least.
“The one thing I was told today, he’s started to warm to the idea that he’s going to a contender. He’s got a team that could be as good as anybody in the Eastern Conference. Now it’s on Toronto to try to recruit him, keep him, but in his mind right now, he’s headed to LA next year.”
What Can Teams Take from All This?
It’s difficult to gauge Leonard and what he really thinks, wants and feels because it’s the media that has been his communication device and he hasn’t spoken in public about anything regarding his mindset or his feelings.
Prior to the injury incident, there had been no reports of Leonard being a bad teammate or being uncoachable.
This could be a one-time thing and something that is an exception to the rule.
That is why other teams like the Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics expressed interest in acquiring the two-time Defensive Player of the Year despite his desire to play for the Lakers. The communication issues didn’t seem to faze these teams and it’s likely that others who want to pursue Leonard in next year’s free agency will not be turned off by what transpired the past few months.
However, the team that acquires him will have to be careful in handling Leonard in the future. Inasmuch as the Spurs could have handled his situation better, the former MVP candidate’s poor communication skills played a huge part in why this saga had dragged on for months. They have to make sure that in dealing with Leonard, everything should be communicated clearly and to take his word for it.
The only thing that teams should be concerned about is if Leonard doesn’t perform like an MVP in the upcoming season. Otherwise, teams will still be lining up to sign Leonard next summer because a player like this is just too hard to pass up on.
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