The NBA rumor mill is buzzing with the latest on Kawhi Leonard, and it looks like the Klaw might be packing his bags for a return to Toronto. Now, that scenario would be music to San Antonio's ears, as they have a couple of preferences if the Clippers decide to part ways with the 35-year-old star: send him back to the Spurs or ship him off to the Eastern Conference.
Any other outcome? Well, let's just say it wouldn't sit well with the Spurs.
The whispers of interest from Golden State and Minnesota seem a bit out there, but in the unpredictable world of the NBA, anything can happen. The Spurs had their hands full with those teams last season and adding Leonard to their rosters would only complicate matters.
The ongoing saga of Kawhi Leonard's potential landing spots is enough to keep Spurs fans on edge. Reports from Jake Fischer and Marc Stein suggest that trade talks between the Raptors and Clippers are gaining momentum.
Meanwhile, Sam Amick from The Athletic has thrown another name into the mix: the Mavericks. With Masai Ujiri now at the helm as the Mavs' GM, there's buzz about him wanting to reunite with Leonard, whom he previously traded for in 2019 when he was with the Raptors.
Imagine a Mavericks lineup featuring Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, Kawhi Leonard, and Dereck Lively II. That's a squad with serious firepower, and with a bench boasting the likes of Naji Marshall, Morez Johnson Jr., Khris Middleton, Daniel Gafford, and Caleb Martin, they'd be a force to reckon with. Lively's presence as a lob threat only sweetens the deal.
For the Spurs, the prospect of Kawhi joining another Western Conference contender is a nightmare. When Leonard is on the court, he's a game-changer.
His stats speak volumes: averaging 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists on 51% shooting from the field and 39% from beyond the arc, along with two steals per game. The 2x Finals MVP still has the chops to lead a team to glory, and that's exactly why Spurs fans are torn about the idea of bringing him back.
But let's not forget, Leonard's talent could just as easily tip the scales in favor of another team. Ideally, that team would be in the Eastern Conference.
If the Spurs have to face him, better it be in the NBA Finals than in the already stacked Western Conference. With powerhouses like OKC, Denver, Houston, LA, and a dark horse in Utah, the path to the finals is challenging enough.
So, if the Clippers are ready to part ways with Leonard, the Spurs and their fans are crossing their fingers that his next destination is eastward. Anything else could feel like sabotage to their championship aspirations.
In Other News...
Pelicans Could Be Near A Major Roster And Staff Decision
The Pelicans are entering another offseason with a couple of familiar questions around the edges of the roster and staff. Forward Saddiq Bey and the team have mutual interest in working out a contract extension, and he becomes extension-eligible on July 11, giving New Orleans a clear marker to watch as it tries to keep some continuity around the frontcourt.
There is also movement on the coaching side, where assistant Jodie Meeks is not expected back next season under new head coach Jamahl Mosley. For a team trying to establish a new direction, the combination of a potential extension discussion and a staff change gives this summer a little extra weight, even as the wider league keeps sorting out roster decisions in places like Los Angeles and Sacramento. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Fans Just Got A Kawhi Outcome They Desperately Needed
For Spurs fans still keeping one eye on the leagues old what-ifs, Kawhi Leonards contract chatter finally landed in a place San Antonio could live with. The broader talk around his next move had already narrowed the field to a few familiar names, and the Spurs were part of the conversation only because of the door he once walked through on his way to becoming a star.
The real concern from San Antonios side was never nostalgia, though, it was the possibility of Leonard landing somewhere that would make the Western Conference even more punishing. Dallas, Golden State, Minnesota and even the Lakers all carried different kinds of problems for a Spurs team trying to rebuild its own path, and reports that the Mavericks were floating trade ideas only added to the unease. Instead, the outcome left the Spurs with the cleaner result they could have wanted, even if the bigger picture around Leonard still had one major branch to close. [Read more 🡒]
Another Spurs Target Is Gone As Patience Gets Harder To Defend
The Spurs have spent free agency signaling a clear preference for flexibility, and that approach is starting to come with a cost. As the market thins, more of the names tied to San Antonio are finding homes elsewhere, leaving the team to keep weighing whether patience is a virtue or just a way to watch useful options disappear.
What remains on the board is getting slimmer by the day, with only a few reported targets still available as the roster puzzle keeps shifting. San Antonios reluctance to clog the books with longer commitments has been easy to understand with major extensions looming for Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and De'Aaron Fox, but it also means the Spurs may need to live with a narrower player pool than they first hoped. [Read more 🡒]