Report: Kawhi Leonard goes weeks without responding to Spurs' calls or texts

What's the story?

San Antonio Spurs' superstar Kawhi Leonard reportedly has not responded to the front office's calls or texts since weeks.

Also read: 5 Possible trade packages for Kawhi Leonard

In case you didn't know...

LaMarcus Aldridge asked head coach Gregg Popovich to be traded from the Spurs in January last summer. The two then had a frank discussion. Since then, Aldridge has had his best season with the Spurs.

The heart of the matter...

Communication between the Spurs and the Kawhi Leonard has eroded to such an extent that he is not responding to the teams' calls or messages according to Sacramento Bee's Ailene Voisin's report on Tuesday.

Leonard has been out from the side with a quadriceps injury and will most probably be missing the rest of the playoffs according to the Vertical's Shams Charania. Popovich reportedly will entertain trading the 2014 Finals MVP if he is not able to improve his relations with the Spurs.

General Manager R.C. Buford downplayed any drama but acknowledged the situation by saying that it “has been difficult for everyone”. There has not been any kind of improvement in the situation. The friction could be felt in Pop’s comments when asked about Leonard's return this postseason.

“You’ll have to ask Kawhi and his group that question, the coach said on Sunday as per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Spurs Express-News.

Popovich then praised forward LaMarcus Aldridge after he scored 34 points and 12 rebounds in the Spurs’ 116-101 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs on Monday.

“LaMarcus has been a monster all year long.”Gregg Popovich after LaMarcus Aldridge scored 34 points in the @spurs loss to the @warriors. pic.twitter.com/RB6ThB7gJi
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 17, 2018

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ESPN’s Rachel Nichols was amongst those who thought that the above comments were a criticism of Leonard.

This is totally not at all a message to someone who may or may not be watching from New York. Totally. https://t.co/aA4pfEqM5V
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 17, 2018

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What's next?

The Spurs are down 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs against the defending champs. They would like to win their first match in the playoffs this season as they host the Warriors for Game 3 on Friday.

Author's take

This situation has been unusual for the San Antonio Spurs who have been a first-class organization and have not faced such a situation nearly for two decades. The relationship is getting worse day by day and a trade seems to be on the cards.