The latest twist around Kawhi Leonard only makes the Spurs’ decision look smarter.
A deal involving Leonard is now tied up in an NBA investigation, and according to Michael Grange, the league wants that probe finished before anything is finalized “to avoid unintended consequences” - including “a small chance Kawhi contract gets voided.” Grange also reported that, barring that issue, “the deal will close as agreed,” with the hope that everything is resolved by the Board of Governors meeting Tuesday.
For San Antonio, that kind of uncertainty is exactly why staying out of the Leonard sweepstakes made sense.
The thought of Leonard back in a Spurs uniform had some appeal. Pairing him with Victor Wembanyama would have been a nasty defensive combination, with Leonard pressuring the perimeter and Wembanyama controlling the paint.
There was also obvious upside on offense. On paper, it was easy to imagine.
But the paper version is one thing. The real-life version comes with baggage.
Leonard is still a future Hall of Famer and can produce at an All-NBA level, but he also brings questions the Spurs didn’t need to invite into their building. The investigation is part of that, and so are his health concerns. San Antonio had no reason to take on that extra layer of risk.
The Spurs are already in a good place with their young group. Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant, and Wembanyama give them a core worth building around, and they just made the NBA Finals.
They lost in five games, but each matchup was close. That’s not a team that needed a dramatic overhaul.
Instead of chasing a blockbuster, the Spurs only needed to make smaller moves and keep developing what they already have. A Leonard reunion would have been a swing at something bigger, but it also would have brought a pile of question marks with it.
That’s why San Antonio can sit back and feel fine about letting this one pass. Even if the investigation ends without affecting Leonard’s standing with Toronto, the Spurs won’t be left wondering what might have been. They already have a championship-caliber core that proved it can go toe-to-toe with anyone.
In Other News...
Spurs Offseason May Have Quietly Changed Everything For Carter Bryant
Carter Bryants long-term outlook in San Antonio got a little clearer this offseason, and not just because of what the Spurs think of him. The roster additions around him matter, too, especially for a young wing who is still trying to carve out his place in a crowded league. Even with the team adding more talent, Bryants path looks less blocked than it might have seemed at first glance, and that kind of organizational fit can matter as much as raw opportunity for a player still early in his development.
The bigger question now is how quickly that fit turns into a real role. San Antonios rookie group does not directly crowd Bryant at his spot, which leaves the door open for him to grow into a larger responsibility as the next couple of seasons unfold. For a team trying to build a sustainable core, that makes Bryant one of the more intriguing names to watch, especially if the Spurs keep leaning into a roster structure that gives him room to rise. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Suddenly Face A Real De'Aaron Fox Crossroads
The Spurs do not appear eager to move De'Aaron Fox this offseason, but the chatter around him has not gone away. Third-party speculation has kept the conversation alive, with mock trade ideas circling a possible reshaping of San Antonios backcourt and frontcourt mix even as the team has not confirmed any plans to shop its new guard.
What makes the discussion linger is the basketball and financial logic behind it. A swap of that kind would likely require San Antonio to add a first-round pick, but it also could create more future cap flexibility because the incoming contract would come off the books sooner than Foxs max deal. It would also force a cleaner look at the roster, potentially clearing a path for Dylan Harper to start and nudging Devin Vassell into a sixth-man role, which is the sort of domino effect that makes this more than idle offseason noise. [Read more 🡒]