The San Antonio Spurs dynasty is falling apart.
Kawhi Leonard, the 2014 Finals MVP who was groomed as the next franchise player following Tim Duncan, wants the Spurs to trade him, according to multiple sources.
Leonard had grown uncomfortable with the Spurs in recent months, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. He missed all but nine games this season due to a quad injury and was also absent throughout the playoffs.
He prefers a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Leonard has one year left on his contract before hitting free agency in 2019, which means he can likely influence the type of return the Spurs receive based on if he chooses to re-sign with his next team.
San Antonio's front office was slated to sit down with Leonard in the coming weeks to hammer out any issues and potentially discuss a five-year supermax extension worth $219 million.
A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Leonard finished third in MVP voting the last time he was fully healthy in 2017. He averaged 25.5 points per game with a 61.0 true-shooting percentage that season and led the Spurs to the Western Conference Finals.
As for the Spurs, their future has never been more uncertain. Not only is Leonard heading for the exits, but reports suggest head coach Gregg Popovich will likely retire before 2020, which leaves them with very little to build on.
