Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Age: 26

2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals, 46.8 percent shooting, 31.4 percent three-point shooting

Advanced Stats: 26.0 PER, 24.52 TPA, 0.80 RPM cheap custom nfl jerseys

Contract Details: 2 years, $41.4 million (player option for 2019-20)

Never once has it seemed like the San Antonio Spurs are more likely to trade Kawhi Leonard than not. Top-five players on the right side of 29 are hard to find, and they’d be negotiating with vultures from a position of weakness. Not only would Leonard’s next team have to worry about paying him in 2019 (player option), but a right quad injury limited him to only nine appearances this past season.

All the while, rumors of distance and discord surfaced at an alarming rate and with even more unsettling veracity. Leonard wasn’t in attendance for San Antonio’s first-round bout with the Golden State Warriors, and “You’ll have to ask his group cheap customized nfl jerseys ” must now legally be engraved on Gregg Popovich’s eventual statue outside AT&T Center.

It makes sense, then, that the Spurs reportedly plan to offer Leonard a five-year supermax extension this summer, according to the San Antonio Express-News’ Tom Orsborn. Reconciling with an All-NBA superstar like Leonard is always the preferred outcome, but he’s also inherently more valuable as a trade asset if he’s signed to a long-term contract.

Here’s where all of the uncertainty kicks in: Leonard’s relationship with the organization can be mended in time. The Spurs can overlook iffy emotional terrain. Ignoring his quad injury is harder. What if he’s suffering from something potentially chronic? cheap nfl custom jerseys They cannot afford to hand him a five-year, $219 million-plus extension if he isn’t a surefire lock to match its value.

Waiting out his recovery could wind up being the smarter play. Leonard will have no trouble requalifying for the supermax next season if he’s his usual self. Letting him reach unrestricted free agency poses its own risk, but the Spurs would still hold the nfl jerseys cheap nike  financial edge over all of his other admirers.

Good luck selling Leonard on the wait-and-see approach. Delaying his payday could prompt him to demand a trade. And rather than deal with the fallout of allowing this debacle to spill into the 2018-19 season, the Spurs could acquiesce. They could even be the proactive party. Testing Leonard’s trade market is a strong preemptive measure if they aren’t sure whether he’ll ever be all the way back.

So strap in, rumor-mill consumers. This Spurs-Kawhi drama has another act or five left to play.nfl nike jerseys cheap