Cleveland Cavaliers: Should Kawhi Leonard’s injury make Cavs uninterested?
The Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to build a super team, and Kawhi Leonard could play a major role in that. But, will his injury be a concern?
Kawhi Leonard is demanding a trade, and the Los Angeles Lakers are one of several teams interested in him. However, reports have now surfaced that the Lakers and Clippers are losing interest due to Leonard’s injury history. Should that also concern the Cleveland Cavaliers?
The Lakers weren’t the only team in LA to have interested in the 2016 MVP runner-up. Both LA teams are on the same page when it comes to his injury. Per the Los Angeles Times, both teams are skeptical about trading for Leonard.
They wrote:
"Neither the Lakers nor Clippers have had trade discussions with the Spurs, as both teams have concerns about the severity of Leonard’s injury. He spent several months away from the team while rehabbing, which led to public barbs from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich about Leonard’s absence — an unusual move for the Spurs.More from King James Gospel3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadlineThis stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead"
That could open the door for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Becuase, in all honesty, the Cavaliers don’t have even close to the assets that the Lakers, Clippers, 76ers, Celtics or any other interested team has to offer. At the same time, if the Cavaliers have that same mindset about the 2X Defensive Player of the Year, then they’ll also shy away and let Leonard hit the open market next summer.
Last season, Leonard played just nine games, averaging 16.2 points per game. Adding 2.0 steals per game and 1.0 blocks per game, Leonard played well even through his injury.
Leonard missed most of the season after Zaza Pachulia slide under Leonard in Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals, a play and series that received much scrutiny following that sequence.
On top of his quad injury, Leonard also dealt with a partial tear in his shoulder and hasn’t played competitive, NBA-level basketball in over sixth months.
That said, for a team that’ll be asked to give up several current and future assets, bringing in a potentially injury-riddled player is not ideal. If Leonard was perfectly healthy and had no concerns surrounding him, the asking price for him could be young talent plus several first-round picks.
That’s not the reality of the situation though.
For the Cavaliers, they’d be far worse off if they dealt the pick and brought in Leonard just to see him miss the majority of the season and then dart to LA anyway.
So, yes, if anyone has a reason to worried, it’s the Cavs. At the same time, if any team has reason to go all-in on Kawhi’s lessened value, it’s the Lakers since it’s believed he’ll eventually find his way there anyway.
Next: Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 30 all-time greatest players
Unless Cleveland truly believes Kawhi is the key to a title in 2019, then they should stay away.