NBA: Top 5 wrong destinations for Kawhi Leonard this summer
The San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard seem they are going to part ways soon as the links of Leonard's departure started to take the news weeks ago.
Also read: 5 Possible trade packages for Kawhi Leonard
The 26-year-old apparently wants out of San Antonio after conflicts with the franchise due to the legitimacy of his quad injury that kept him out for 73 games last season.
Any team in the league would like to have Leonard on the roster, but the small forward has Los Angeles in his preferred destinations, especially Los Lakers.
Leonard entered the NBA in 2011 drafted by the Indiana Pacers and then traded to the Spurs. Since then, he has proved he can lead a team as he did when Tim Duncan retired.
Two seasons ago Leonard was among the three candidates to win the MVP of the season and ended third in the race behind Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
Whatever team Kawhi decides to join they will become an automatic contender, but there are some teams that might be a damage for the career of the 2014 NBA Finals MVP.
In addition, there is the financial situation with Leonard and how much is he willing to lose if he leaves San Antonio. The Spurs are offering him a five-year, $219 million Supermax contract this summer if he stays and if Kawhi decides to go away from the five-time NBA champions he could lose 31$ millions.
Here is the list of the five teams that could shut down Kawhi Leonard's career.
1- Charlotte Hornets
Knowing the Spurs would not want to trade Kawhi to a Western Conference team, the East seems like an awful destination.
Indeed, it is clear San Antonio will only trade Leonard if they get the best part of it, and if the Hornets aims Kawhi, they probably have to let Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum leave.
That would leave Leonard with a bunch of role player in Charlotte, which could be the worst scenario for the two-time NBA All-Star.
In fact, the Hornets miss the playoff for the second season in a row and have reached the postseason three times in the last ten years.
Anyways, there is no way Leonard accepted a trade to Charlotte if he has the opportunity to go to a big market like Los Lakers or the Cleveland Cavaliers if we talk to the East.