NBA Rumors: Is Kawhi done with the Spurs; What should be his trade value?

So What Is Kawhi Worth Now?

Chicago with Jimmy Butler and Sacramento with DeMarcus Cousins made the determination that paying supermax figures was not worth it to them, and preferred a trade. Paul George and Kyrie Irving’s situations are other recent comps of what a team might get for an elite superstar who simply doesn’t want to be there and may not want to re-sign when everybody knows it.

Leonard’s decision to not return to play this playoffs could potentially change the Spurs brass’ mind about offering him a contract that would pay him almost $50 million in 2024, when a near full year of rest hasn’t been sufficient to heal him yet here in 2018.

For the Spurs, the injury and relationship history may be enough for them to at least field every offer and make the most difficult decision in franchise history.

For teams hoping to acquire him this summer, it would be prudent to keep in mind the type of analysis the Spurs will be doing. For a player with a significant, chronic injury history, it’s scary to trade the significant package of assets it may take to acquire him for just one season with some injury risk; even if he did say he was open to re-signing next summer.

While risk may be a prerequisite to winning big, there is plenty to consider.

I think for teams with other elite options in free agency like the Sixers, or Lakers, it may not be worth depleting your young core for the upside of Leonard unless he were under a longer-term contract, or you knew it would also lure LeBron James or Paul George. But for a team without as much cap room, or without as much hope to lure elite names in free agency, (like say the Clippers, Mavs, Celtics, or Knicks), it’s worth exploring.

It would likely take more than what Kyrie Irving fetched last year even with the injury-risk, because of how good Leonard recently was on both ends. Perhaps a package from the Clippers centered around Tobias Harris, and a combo of the upcoming 12th pick in the draft and Lou Williams or Patrick Beverley?

Being in Leonard’s hometown, the Clips may have good reason to suspect they can keep him longer than a season. The Lakers have that going for them as well and Kyle Kuzma recently roasted the Spurs and may have caught Pop’s eye, should it begin to wander this summer.

Things don’t always work out and people change their mind. Even if she says she thinks she’ll be happier with you than your seemingly perfect friend, who knows. You have to consider the full picture. She promised to love him forever once, and now look. 

Consider that one of the best predictors of a quad tendon rupture, is quad tendinitis. Or that if non-surgical rehab does not work over a long period of time, that a recommended next step is sometimes Arthoscopic Revascularization, a surgical procedure. Or the fact that if Pop who likely knows far more than anyone else about this prefers a package over simply keeping Leonard, it may reveal something the rest of us do not know.

If the relationship is truly fractured, it might be wise to rule out the “doing right by Kawhi” scenarios and consider more self-serving motives in any swap. Upon the condition of Pop accepting a deal, it may necessarily mean that he won the deal; the way Danny Ainge possibly knew far better than folks in Cleveland, recently, the full extent of Isaiah Thomas’ hip injury.

If you want to date your buddy’s ex, it would be wise to not simply assume you’re going to get all of (or only) the good times you saw him having from the big parties you remember, or their travel pics on Instagram.

Must Read: NBA Rumors: 3 Potenital Trade Destinations For Kawhi Leonard

If he’s willing to move on, he might have some good reasons. Just a heads up. But of course, as the great Bruce Arians likes to say, “no risk it, no biscuit.”