SAN ANTONIO — After months of speculation regarding disgruntled Spurs All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard’s future in San Antonio, the longest soap opera in franchise history is over.
Leonard and guard Danny Green are being traded to the Toronto Raptors in a deal that includes shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, 7-footer Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick, the Spurs announced Wednesday. Leonard and Green both started on the 2013-14 team that won the Silver and Black’s last championship.
Leonard sent shock waves through the NBA when reports surfaced in mid-June that he wanted out of San Antonio. He never budged from his position.
Leonard, who turned 27 on June 29, was limited to nine games last season by a mysterious quadriceps injury. He made his 2017-18 debut on Dec. 12 after missing the Spurs’ first 27 games, playing for a month before being shut down for the rest of the season.
The diagnosis of the injury and his rehabilitation led to a rift between Leonard and the Spurs. He stopped going to games late in the regular season and was not on the bench for any of the team’s five playoff games against champion Golden State in the first round.
Citing sources, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reported last June 15 that Leonard had “grown frustrated with how the (Spurs) organization handled his quad injury and feels the franchise turned on him once he sought a second opinion.”
Popovich had a sit-down with Leonard on June 19 in San Diego, Calif., two days before the NBA draft. The conversation reportedly went relatively well, but Leonard was resolute in his determination to leave San Antonio. It was then that observers figured it was only a matter of time before Leonard was gone.
While the Silver and Black ultimately decided to cut ties with Leonard, when they traded him and where he landed were subjects of intense conjecture.
Leonard’s preferred destination was the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Silver and Black were reluctant to trade him to a Western Conference rival. Speculation that Leonard would wind up with the Lakers cooled after they came to terms with free agent LeBron James. The L.A. Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics also have been mentioned among Leonard’s suitors.
Boston approached the Spurs about making a deal for Leonard before the February trade deadline last season, but the Silver and Black never entertained the offer. Reports of Leonard wanting out of San Antonio sparked a rush of teams interested in putting together deals to obtain him via trade. But most, including the Lakers, paused when they considered what the Spurs were asking for their star: Top players and draft choices.
Leonard reportedly felt “uncomfortable” with the Spurs and “betrayed” by the organization over the handling of his injury. Leonard sought a second opinion in New York and had his own medical team supervise his rehabilitation for most of the season. Spurs staffers went to New York to help Leonard train, but his decision to go outside the team to rehab didn’t sit well with the club.
On Monday, Leonard became eligible to sign a five-year, $219 million contract extension with the Spurs this season. He signed a five-year deal in 2015 worth more than $90 million. The contract runs through the 2019-20 season, but Leonard could opt out of the deal after the 2018-19 season and become a free agent.
The Spurs’ decision to part ways with Leonard is a staggering blow for a franchise that has been one of the best in pro sports for two decades. The Silver and Black were counting on Leonard to be the bridge to continued success after the retirement of Tim Duncan two years ago. Duncan was the constant on all five of the franchise’s championship teams.
Leonard’s prolonged absence led to frustration for him, Popovich and his teammates.
Leonard’s slower-than-expected recovery perplexed Popovich, who said he never had seen an injury like Leonard’s. Popovich said in early November that Leonard wasn’t progressing as fast as point guard Tony Parker in his rehab work.
Parker ruptured the tendon in his left quadriceps during the playoffs last season. He had surgery two days after he sustained the injury in Game 4 of the Spurs’ series against Houston in the Western Conference semifinals. Parker wasn’t expected to return to the lineup until January, at the earliest, but he made his season debut Nov. 27.
“He’s just coming around more slowly, for whatever reason,” Popovich said of Leonard. “It’s just been more difficult for him to get through the rehab routine, so his body hasn’t reacted the same way (as Parker) . . . It’s just taken a little bit longer.”
Popovich was asked after the Spurs’ loss to the Warriors in their playoff opener in Oakland if he expected Leonard to return before the season ended. Popovich’s frustration with the situation was reflected in his comments to reporters.
“You’ll have to ask Kawhi and his (outside medical) group that question,” Popovich said in a story by Sam Amick of USA TODAY. “So far, they say that he’s not ready to go, so we can’t do anything until that happens . . . and then we would have to decide what’s going on from there. But that’s the first thing that has to happen.”
Popovich’s comments and his repeated reference to Leonard’s “group” in subsequent interviews reportedly didn’t sit well with Leonard.
Leonard emerged as a star during the Spurs’ run to their last title in 2014, becoming a force on both ends of the court and earning MVP honors in the Finals. When healthy, Leonard is generally considered the best two-way player in the NBA.
Named to the All-NBA First Team in 2016 and 2017, Leonard was voted NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016. He has made the All-Defensive First Team three times (2015, 2016, 2017) and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team once (2014).
Leonard’s 2017-18 season – and, in effect, the Spurs’ campaign – started to unravel even before training camp started last September. Bothered by persistent pain in his right leg, Leonard was diagnosed with tendinopathy in his right quadriceps and doubled down on his rehab program.
An introvert, Leonard spoke to the media only once after he was shut down for the season. He said he could return to the lineup “soon,” although he didn’t give a timeline.
“Obviously, I’m a competitor,” Leonard said. “If I could play, I’m going to go out and play like I did in the nine games, just to test it out. It just wasn’t where we wanted it to be.”
Asked when he thought he would play again, Leonard said: “Soon. I don’t have a set date right now, but I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing. The progression that I’ve been making has been great, so I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing.”
While Leonard said the pain caused by the tendinopathy in his right quadriceps was diminishing, he quickly added that “it’s hard to explain” the level of his discomfort.
“I’m definitely better,” he said. “I feel better.”
Leonard said “sure” when he was asked if his goal was to get back on the court as soon as possible.
“With taking the right steps,” he said. “Don’t want to take no steps back and aggravate things.”
When asked if he could see himself finishing his career with the Spurs, Leonard quickly replied, “Yeah, for sure.”
The soap opera took another turn March 17 when the Spurs had a players-only meeting with Leonard after a home victory against Minnesota. Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright reported that Parker led the meeting, but he declined to get into specifics when he was asked about it six days later.
“You should know better," Parker said. "You should know better that I can't talk about that. That's private stuff, locker room stuff. We always talk as a team, and you know we can't talk about that."
But Parker caused a stir by something else he said in the same interview.
"I've been through it," Parker said, referring to his injury. "It was a rehab for me for eight months, same kind of injury, but mine was 100 times worse, but the same kind of injury. You just stay positive."
Leonard reportedly was upset by Parker’s comments.
Leonard had his best season as a pro in 2016-17, averaging career highs of 25.5 points and 3.5 assists. He added 5.8 rebounds in 33.4 minutes while shooting .485 (636/1,311) from the floor, .381 (147/386) from beyond the arc and a personal-best .880 (469/533) from the free-throw line.
Leonard played two seasons at San Diego State before turning pro in 2015. He was selected by Indiana with the 15th overall pick in the NBA draft that year, but was subsequently traded to San Antonio for George Hill on draft night. Leonard has averaged 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals in his NBA career.