Kawhi Leonard May Want Spurs To 'Tweak Some Things'

[RealGM Wiretap]

If Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs are able to mend their partnership, there could be some changes to the culture of the franchise.

Leonard has mainly rehabbed away from the Spurs and has been based in New York.

Leonard may want some changes to the way Gregg Popovich conducts practices and other areas.

“Don’t you have to sign him,” asks one rival executive. “From what I understand, he wants (Gregg) Popovich to lighten up a little with practice and tweak some things. The Spurs may not want to change their ways, but this is Kawhi Leonard we’re talking about.”

Via Frank Isola/New York Daily News

[Pickled Prunes]

“Don’t you have to sign him,” asks one rival executive. “From what I understand, he wants (Gregg) Popovich to lighten up a little with practice and tweak some things. The Spurs may not want to change their ways, but this is Kawhi Leonard we’re talking about.”

This is a speculative question from a rival executive that, for all we know, works in the mail room. But the answer is no, they do not have to sign him. Not if their assumtions are true, that Kawhi held himself out of the later half of the season and playoffs because he wants to negotiate for shorter practices. In that situation you trade him to the Suns to show him how the other half live.


But the best sentence in that article didn't get picked up in the aggregation:

Kawhi Leonard is expected to meet with the San Antonio Spurs in the not-so-distant future, assuming that he is medically cleared by his team of doctors.

So cheeky!

[Dr Huge Pecs]

This is fake. Spurs are probably putting this out to infuriate fans.

Leonard wants out and I doubt it has anything to do with practice. Spurs are on a downward spiral...Leonard may still actually be hurt. Spurs should trade him for picks...they wont be a playoff team next year, guaranteed.

[AdagioPace]

I doubt this has to do with practice. Leonard is the most hard-working guy in the business. He probably wants to play more minutes and be less "cuddled" by Popovich. Anyway I don't trust this explosion of rumors in the past few days. After the meeting we'll know the outcome even though we might never know what was behind all this

[CelticsWin5]

The best part of any article involving Kawhi (and the Spurs) is the comment section filled with delusional Kawhi fanboys who can't believe the guy is a diva who doesn't want to practice. I remember when the news first broke early in The season by won, every wannabe TNT basketball analyst kept calling it fake news and fake espn drama. Its not going away you fake bandwagoners. The first step is acceptance not denial!

[CIN-C-STAR]

Is Kawhi really going full Allen Iverson here?
Dude wasn't even around the team all season but he's bothered that they are having too many practices?
I don't know, call me crazy, but if you don't like practicing basketball maybe you should choose a different career field than professional basketball player.

[gerrit4]

The Spurs need to change their culture?

I would honestly have accepted that criticism about the other 29 teams in the league.

[CIN-C-STAR]

If this is true trade this dude to the Knicks for The Unicorn, please.
If Kawhi wants to be in charge of the practice schedule and start calling plays and stuff like that then he needs to go to a bush league organization that is more concerned about selling tickets and getting tv contracts than they are about winning.
Cue James Dolan. Kawhi can be the King of New York and there will be no pressure to win a title, just make the Knicks relevant again. He can iso all day, try to win MVPs and not try on defense for the first 3 1/2 quarters and not have to worry about a coach interfering with that by trying to win the game or get the team to play a certain way.
Plus Kawhi obviously already enjoys spending time in NYC, skipping his team's playoff games to remain in the Big Apple. I think it's a perfect fit for both teams and the players involved. Porzingis seems more like an old-school type that is more concerned with wining than touches and shoe deals so he might be a better fit for the Spurs culture.

[cdubbz]

Kawhi isn't just a coward but being a baby now.

Spurs shouldn't offer him the max and let him walk. he will miss out on tens of millions

[cdubbz]

Kawhi isn't just a coward but being a baby now.

Spurs shouldn't offer him the max and let him walk. he will miss out on tens of millions

[gordoncatrell]

Superstar conditions. Nothing asked of SAS is out of bounds. i bet there are somethings that maybe mentioned that relates to the political climate.

he's calling SAS's bluff. what happens when other STAR NAME players around the league sees SAS's treatment of KL?
will SAS have a difficult attracting TopTier talent? will they have a difficult time RETAINING up and coming star talent (eh em, Murray).

SAS fan needs to hold SAS to account. The world is changing and you cannot stay overly committed to the "triangle offense".

anywho, SAS will balk, KL will be sought after by every other GM in the league. he's in a WIN WIN position. he wins. SAS wont learn from this 2 year mistake. 2 years, folks.
These constant health-concern mentions are the perfect cover. well played all around.

[gordoncatrell]

Superstar conditions. Nothing asked of SAS is out of bounds. i bet there are somethings that maybe mentioned that relates to the political climate.

he's calling SAS's bluff. what happens when other STAR NAME players around the league sees SAS's treatment of KL?
will SAS have a difficult attracting TopTier talent? will they have a difficult time RETAINING up and coming star talent (eh em, Murray).

SAS fan needs to hold SAS to account. The world is changing and you cannot stay overly committed to the "triangle offense".

anywho, SAS will balk, KL will be sought after by every other GM in the league. he's in a WIN WIN position. he wins. SAS wont learn from this 2 year mistake. 2 years, folks.
These constant health-concern mentions are the perfect cover. well played all around.

oh. aaaannnnd forgot to mention. "TOLDJA".

[gordoncatrell]

If this is true trade this dude to the Knicks for The Unicorn, please.
If Kawhi wants to be in charge of the practice schedule and start calling plays and stuff like that then he needs to go to a bush league organization that is more concerned about selling tickets and getting tv contracts than they are about winning.
Cue James Dolan. Kawhi can be the King of New York and there will be no pressure to win a title, just make the Knicks relevant again. He can iso all day, try to win MVPs and not try on defense for the first 3 1/2 quarters and not have to worry about a coach interfering with that by trying to win the game or get the team to play a certain way.
Plus Kawhi obviously already enjoys spending time in NYC, skipping his team's playoff games to remain in the Big Apple. I think it's a perfect fit for both teams and the players involved. Porzingis seems more like an old-school type that is more concerned with wining than touches and shoe deals so he might be a better fit for the Spurs culture.

so true. bc all Star players grind out practices. makes you wonder if LMA / Manu / TP were participating if full practices; or were they just doing film sessions and walk-throughs?
widen your gaze.

[CIN-C-STAR]

If this is true trade this dude to the Knicks for The Unicorn, please.
If Kawhi wants to be in charge of the practice schedule and start calling plays and stuff like that then he needs to go to a bush league organization that is more concerned about selling tickets and getting tv contracts than they are about winning.
Cue James Dolan. Kawhi can be the King of New York and there will be no pressure to win a title, just make the Knicks relevant again. He can iso all day, try to win MVPs and not try on defense for the first 3 1/2 quarters and not have to worry about a coach interfering with that by trying to win the game or get the team to play a certain way.
Plus Kawhi obviously already enjoys spending time in NYC, skipping his team's playoff games to remain in the Big Apple. I think it's a perfect fit for both teams and the players involved. Porzingis seems more like an old-school type that is more concerned with wining than touches and shoe deals so he might be a better fit for the Spurs culture.

so true. bc all Star players grind out practices. makes you wonder if LMA / Manu / TP were participating if full practices; or were they just doing film sessions and walk-throughs?
widen your gaze.

I highly doubt the Spurs are asking Kawhi Leonard, who has a chronic, mysterious, possibly career-threatening quad injury, to practice more than Lamarcus Aldridge
I know you are anti-Spurs and anti-Pop but some of the nonsense you come up with is so over the top it's funny.

[macNcheese3]

May want? This all seems like a bunch of BS unless his true colors are coming out.

[gordoncatrell]

If this is true trade this dude to the Knicks for The Unicorn, please.
If Kawhi wants to be in charge of the practice schedule and start calling plays and stuff like that then he needs to go to a bush league organization that is more concerned about selling tickets and getting tv contracts than they are about winning.
Cue James Dolan. Kawhi can be the King of New York and there will be no pressure to win a title, just make the Knicks relevant again. He can iso all day, try to win MVPs and not try on defense for the first 3 1/2 quarters and not have to worry about a coach interfering with that by trying to win the game or get the team to play a certain way.
Plus Kawhi obviously already enjoys spending time in NYC, skipping his team's playoff games to remain in the Big Apple. I think it's a perfect fit for both teams and the players involved. Porzingis seems more like an old-school type that is more concerned with wining than touches and shoe deals so he might be a better fit for the Spurs culture.

so true. bc all Star players grind out practices. makes you wonder if LMA / Manu / TP were participating if full practices; or were they just doing film sessions and walk-throughs?
widen your gaze.

I highly doubt the Spurs are asking Kawhi Leonard, who has a chronic, mysterious, possibly career-threatening quad injury, to practice more than Lamarcus Aldridge
I know you are anti-Spurs and anti-Pop but some of the nonsense you come up with is so over the top it's funny.

oddly enough, Current and Former Superstar/Star players are not criticizing KL. do you think they all know the "game" at this level?
doubly odd, is RC is awfully mum on this situation. the loudest guy in the room is POP. Pop is having his Denzel Training Day moment; the end credits will roll soon, sad to see him being so tone deaf.

ps - KL is healthy. the "news" relating to mentions of lingering injury is to provide cover while this mess gets sorted out.

PSS - i guess i care more about SAS than most since im putting them on notice that changes are needed before they end up as an afterthought team.

[Pickled Prunes]

If this is true trade this dude to the Knicks for The Unicorn, please.
If Kawhi wants to be in charge of the practice schedule and start calling plays and stuff like that then he needs to go to a bush league organization that is more concerned about selling tickets and getting tv contracts than they are about winning.
Cue James Dolan. Kawhi can be the King of New York and there will be no pressure to win a title, just make the Knicks relevant again. He can iso all day, try to win MVPs and not try on defense for the first 3 1/2 quarters and not have to worry about a coach interfering with that by trying to win the game or get the team to play a certain way.
Plus Kawhi obviously already enjoys spending time in NYC, skipping his team's playoff games to remain in the Big Apple. I think it's a perfect fit for both teams and the players involved. Porzingis seems more like an old-school type that is more concerned with wining than touches and shoe deals so he might be a better fit for the Spurs culture.

so true. bc all Star players grind out practices. makes you wonder if LMA / Manu / TP were participating if full practices; or were they just doing film sessions and walk-throughs?
widen your gaze.

I highly doubt the Spurs are asking Kawhi Leonard, who has a chronic, mysterious, possibly career-threatening quad injury, to practice more than Lamarcus Aldridge
I know you are anti-Spurs and anti-Pop but some of the nonsense you come up with is so over the top it's funny.

It's the weed that helps him to connect these dots... too much weed... because those aren't dots; they're particulates floating in bong water!

[gordoncatrell]

so true. bc all Star players grind out practices. makes you wonder if LMA / Manu / TP were participating if full practices; or were they just doing film sessions and walk-throughs?
widen your gaze.

I highly doubt the Spurs are asking Kawhi Leonard, who has a chronic, mysterious, possibly career-threatening quad injury, to practice more than Lamarcus Aldridge
I know you are anti-Spurs and anti-Pop but some of the nonsense you come up with is so over the top it's funny.

It's the weed that helps him to connect these dots... too much weed... because those aren't dots; they're particulates floating in bong water!

you two are so cute...
i'll load up the next "toldja" soon. stay tuned, all.

[zimpy27]

I think this has to do with the culture of the spurs where no player is bigger than the team. He wants to be marketed as a superstar in his own right and the spurs just don't seem to allow that. Think about Duncan and how little he made outside the nbe court. Kawhi doesn't want that.

[deeps6x]

Trade KL to Toronto for KL.