Spurs better hope Clippers don't screw them after latest Kawhi Leonard rumor

The Kawhi Leonard trade rumors continue to swirl, and based on what's been reported lately, the Klaw could be headed back to Toronto. That would be just fine with San Antonio, as there are only two acceptable outcomes if the Clippers insist on moving the 35-year-old California native: send him back to the Spurs or send him to the Eastern Conference.

Anything else is an attempt at sabotage, whether intended or not. There have been whispers that Golden State and Minnesota have expressed interest. Those seem a little far-fetched, but this is the NBA, and anything is possible. The Spurs had their hands full enough when playing those teams last year. They don't need to add the Klaw to the equation.

The inconsistency of the Kawhi Leonard rumors should worry Spurs fans

Jake Fischer and Marc Stein revealed that trade talks may be advancing (paid) between the Raptors and Clippers. But earlier today, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the Mavericks' new general manager, Masai Ujiri, was interested in reuniting with Leonard. He was the GM of the Raptors back in 2019, so this would be his second time trading for the 2x Defensive Player of the Year.

That would give the Mavs a starting unit of Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, Kawhi Leonard, and Dereck Lively II. With Naji Marshall, Morez Johnson Jr., Khris Middleton, Daniel Gafford, and Caleb Martin coming off the bench, that'd be a serious ball club. They'd have shot makers all over the floor, and Lively is a lob threat you can't sleep on.

The Spurs don't want Kawhi on another contender in the West

When Leonard is on the floor, he's still a star. That's the only reason why Spurs Nation has been split on the idea of bringing him back to San Antonio.

This is a guy who averaged 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists on 51% FG and 39% 3PT through 65 games. He's also still averaging two steals. The 2x Finals MVP can still contribute at a high level, and at the end of the day, fans want to win a championship. Kawhi can help the team do that, and that's a pretty undeniable fact.

But that also means he can help someone else win. That someone else needs to be in the Eastern Conference. If the Spurs have to deal with him, they can do it in the NBA Finals, but the Western Conference is tough enough. The Silver and Black will have to contend with OKC, Denver, Houston, LA, and a sleeper in Utah.

Adding Kawhi to the mix only makes the road to the finals more difficult. The Clippers can move off Klaw if they want, but that doesn't mean the rest of us have to suffer. If Leonard is leaving LA, San Antonio better hope he's heading east. Because, again, anything else would be sabotage.

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