Good news, bad news for Sixers fans lusting after disgruntled Spurs star Kawhi Leonard.
The good news: The Spurs are “ready” to move on from Leonard after the two sides met, according to The New York Times Marc Stein.
The bad news: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that “several teams” are in talks with the Spurs, but singles out the Lakers and Celtics as two of the teams having conversations about Leonard.
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This doesn’t mean that the Sixers aren’t one of the “several teams” still in the mix — they reportedly made an offer — but the fact that Woj specifically mentions L.A. and Boston has to mean something. The Lakers are reportedly Leonard’s preferred destination, while the Celtics probably have the most assets to give the Spurs and also present Gregg Popovich and company the opportunity to ship Leonard to the East.
With reports that the Lakers are the favorites to sign LeBron James so the star can be closer to his family — and that the King wants to team up with Leonard — and swingman Paul George having his heart set on L.A. for about a year, the Sixers could be in a tough spot.
If not for geographical factors, the Sixers would likely be a preferred destination for these stars because of the pieces that are already in place (see story). But James, Leonard and George all seem to prefer the other coast.
With all that said, the ball is not in Leonard’s court. Maybe Popovich will help his old buddy Brett Brown and the Sixers’ star hunt will succeed.