LOS ANGELES _ Whether or not the relationship between Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs is reparable, the star forward's desire to leave the organization became clear on Friday morning when the San Antonio Express-News and other outlets reported Leonard wants to be traded.
The Lakers have long been among his preferred destinations, if not the preferred destination, according to sources not authorized to speak publicly. Leonard, who was born in Los Angeles, went to high school in Riverside County before playing college basketball at San Diego State.
While interested in the Spurs star, so far the Lakers haven't had any trade discussions about Leonard. It's also unclear if the Spurs would be willing to trade Leonard to the Lakers or to any team at all. If they are, other teams might have more significant assets to offer, especially given that the Lakers do not have a lottery pick this year. They will select 25th in next week's draft, a pick they got in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While the Lakers are open to trading any player on their roster for the right offer, how much they are willing to give up for Leonard will depend on the severity of Leonard's quadriceps injury. Leonard missed most of last season because of the injury and was away from the team for several months while rehabbing. That led to public barbs from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich about Leonard's absence, an unusual move for the Spurs.
History doesn't favor the Spurs wanting to trade Leonard, 26, to the Lakers.
In the summer of 2017, Paul George's agent told the Indiana Pacers that his client planned to become a free agent in the summer of 2018 and sign with the Lakers. Irritated, the Pacers traded George, a Palmdale native, to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder had no assurance that George would stay after the 2017-18 season, but added him and Carmelo Anthony to a roster that already included Russell Westbrook in an effort to compete for a championship. Instead, the Thunder lost to the Utah Jazz in the first round.
George, who was cheered heartily during his visits to Staples Center this season, was noncommittal after the season ended about whether he would return to Oklahoma. George is expected to become a free agent this summer, as is Cavaliers star LeBron James, who could leave Cleveland again in search of a better opportunity.
A trade for Leonard could give the Lakers the easiest path financially to creating the kind of superteam necessary to win a championship. It would allow them to add a star player without taking as much of a hit to their salary cap as they would if they simply signed a player to a maximum contract.
The Lakers have spent the past year and a half hoarding salary cap space for free agency in 2018 and 2019, giving themselves the flexibility to build a championship roster. Right now they have the salary cap space to add two maximum contracts. It will be difficult for them to add two contracts and sign homegrown forward Julius Randle without clearing more money somehow.
