Popovich, Leonard Expected To Meet Before Draft

After a tumultuous season in San Antonio, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and star forward Kawhi Leonard are expected to sit down and talk sometime before the draft on June 21, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during a TV appearance on Tuesday (video link via Rob Lopez of DefPenHoops).

According to Wojnarowski, the Spurs will be looking to repair the relationship between Leonard and the organization. The two sides were at odds during the 2017/18 season as Leonard opted to listen to the advice of outside doctors rather than the Spurs’ medical staff, resulting in him missing all but nine games due to a nagging quadriceps injury.

While Leonard’s teammates have publicly supported him, Wojnarowski suggests that the 26-year-old may have to mend some fences on that front too. Meanwhile, the Spurs will have to decide whether or not to put a long-term, super-max extension offer on the table.

If San Antonio doesn’t offer Leonard a new contract this summer, trade speculation could heat up. For now though, despite interest from teams around the NBA, the Spurs aren’t entertaining the possibility of discussing a deal, says Wojnarowski.

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