The apparent drama involving Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs continues.
The Spurs forward will ask the team to practice less intensely when he meets with his bosses this offseason, an anonymous NBA executive told the New York Daily News’ Frank Isola on Thursday.
Leonard’s looming heart-to-heart conversation with Spurs officials likely will determine his long-term future with the team, and his concern over practice reportedly isn’t the only issue he’ll address.
“From what I understand, he wants (Spurs coach Gregg) Popovich to lighten up a little with practice and tweak some things,” the NBA executive told Isola. “The Spurs may not want to change their ways, but this is Kawhi Leonard we’re talking about.”
Leonard missed 73 regular-season games and all five of the Spurs’ first-round playoff games in 2017-18 due to a thigh injury, which reportedly is a source of major friction between the team and its star player.
With his contract expiring after next season and his current health status uncertain, Leonard has become the subject of incessant trade rumors that link him to a host of teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.
The speculation is unlikely to stop unless Popovich decides to abandon the methods that have served the team so well over his 22-plus years in charge of San Antonio.
