NBA Free Agents 2015: Will the San Antonio Spurs Lose Kawhi Leonard?
For anyone you has followed the NBA in recent years, you know the San Antonio Spurs don't rebuild, they reload.
The team has multiple Hall of Fame players on the squad, but it was 23-year-old Kawhi Leonard, who won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award against the Miami Heat last season. Leonard is obviously a great player, but his future with the team is still questionable.
This previous offseason, Leonard and his agent looked to get a max deal, somewhere in the ballpark of five years and $90 million. General manager R.C Buford and owner Peter Holt decided against that.
Leonard is currently under contract with the Spurs until the end of next season. He is scheduled to make $2.89 million this season, and a little more than $4 million next season. But there's a catch.
After next season, Leonard is a restricted free agent because he has a "qualifying offer" in his contract. Fortunately for the Spurs, they will get first bids at Leonard before any other team does. Hence, he's a "restricted" free agent.
There's no denying Leonard has been a great player for the silver and black. Leonard is a well-rounded player who has improved his rebounding dramatically as well as his scoring each and every season. He's not the LeBron James of small forwards, but Leonard's one-on-one defensive skills are elite, and that's what head coach Gregg Popovich loves to have on his team. Leonard is also a career 80.8 percent free throw shooter.
Perhaps the biggest benefit that Leonard gives the Spurs is youth.
Tony Parker is a great point guard, but he is 32 years old. Argentinean shooting guard Manu Ginobili is 37 years old, and power forward Tim Duncan is 38. The Spurs "Big 3" have an average age of over 35. Leonard is clearly the future of the franchise, as Popovich as said many times before. The Spurs may want to spend the big bucks on Leonard to secure a great future in San Antonio.
The other side of these negotiations is Leonard. Maybe Leonard doesn't want to keep playing the "robin role." Maybe Leonard would rather play in a bigger media market like New York City or Los Angeles, possibly even Chicago or Boston. Brand does matter, after all. it's most likely that the Spurs won't give Leonard a max contract, because Leonard isn't an elite offensive player, and the Spurs usually don't break the bank on anyone. Leonard would certainly garner a higher salary elsewhere, and he and his agent should explore all options.
On the other hand, Leonard may want to be careful what he wishes for. No other team will have better coaching and surrounding cast than the Spurs have. If Leonard wants to go elsewhere, he will have to adjust to a whole new system without favorable teammates such as Tiago Splitter, Duncan and many in the front court with him. What other team will have a better system for Leonard to thrive in than that of San Antonio?
The most ideal situation for all parties involved would be to agree to a long-term contract, but not for a max deal. Leonard can still make a lot of money, the Spurs can have their ideal player and Leonard can remain with the system in which he thrives in.
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