Why Warriors Fans Should Keep an Eye on the Kawhi Leonard Situation

Scenario #1: Kawhi heads East (or to another team in the West, at least)

As was previously stated, Coach Pop is the Mickey to Leonard’s Rocky. He knows how to tap into the soft-spoken Leonard and combine his talents with the team’s unselfish style of play to produce W’s. But, could a different coach on a team where he would have to rebuild chemistry yield the same success? In case you didn’t know, Leonard is a Cali boy (more on how the Warriors could tie into that in a second) who will be an unrestricted free agent in a couple seasons.

Let’s say hypothetically Leonard leaves that year to go to the Lakers or Clippers. Who knows what either team will look by then, but it’s quite possible that Leonard would be the best player on a still young and/or rebuilding team on either front.

Or, on the more immediate side, Leonard could decide he wants to be traded some time before 2020 (i.e. this upcoming offseason). This trade could send him to one of the aforementioned teams…or out East to a team ripe with assets like the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers or Miami Heat. Heck, what if the Cavaliers get uber-desperate and try to flip their 2018 Brooklyn pick and Kevin Love and whatever else not named LeBron for Leonard?

Either way, Leonard’s departure would mean the end of the Spurs’ run as they would go from constant Western threat to rebuilding franchise.

It’s one thing to find regular season success, which the Spurs have been able to do in spurts without him, but winning a title without him is a different story. The domino effect could even lead to Coach Pop, who was rumored to retire with future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan at one point, to retire.

Leonard in a Spurs jersey this season and next season means San Antonio is still a threat, but if that’s not the case, the Warriors’ playoff road just got a little easier. And do you know what could make it even easier than that? Check out Scenario #2.