San Antonio Spurs
For the first time in 20 seasons, the San Antonio Spurs may have a problem. Resident superstar Kawhi Leonard’s camp has leaked that he wants to move on from the Spurs. Gregg Popovich revealed during the season that LaMarcus Aldridge was the first and only player to request a trade during his nearly 25 years after returning to the Spurs. After a face-to-face with LaMarcus, both sides were happy and Aldridge went on to have his best season in a Spurs uniform. Coach Pop has now met with Kawhi but it is unknown if he is still willing to remain a Spur.
The future of the most consistent franchise in the league rests on how they move forward with Leonard. Lonnie Walker, their 18th pick, is the highest draft pick the franchise produced since selecting Tim Duncan 1st overall in 1997 and highest they’ve had since trading for the 15th pick to select Kawhi in 2011. This is a crossroads offseason for San Antonio. Some dominos will have to fall before the front office can make a decision. If they do decide to part ways with Leonard in exchange for assets it might be beneficial to deal Aldridge and Pau Gasol as well to expedite the process.
Pop could continue to make the playoffs with this roster minus Kawhi, but without a real chance to compete with Golden State and the top teams in the league, the franchise may very well opt to rebuild sooner rather than later.
Verdict: Rebuild