Kawhi Leonard Odds: Spurs, 76ers, Clippers Favorites to Have SF for 2018 Opener

The relationship between the San Antonio Spurs and star Kawhi Leonard may be at or near its nadir, but the odds remain heavily in favor of him staying with the franchise.

At least in the eyes of oddsmakers.

OddsShark has the Spurs listed as a -170 (bet $170 to win $100) favorite to have Leonard on their roster the opening night of the 2018-19 season. The Philadelphia 76ers have by far the next-best odds at +400 and are followed by the two Los Angeles teams, with the Clippers at +700 and Lakers at +900.

Leonard was limited to nine games the entire 2017-18 season due to rehab from a quad injury suffered in the 2017 postseason. He returned for a brief stretch of games in December and January before being put back on the shelf—all despite receiving clearance from team doctors.

The situation has led to clear tension coming from both sides. Despite Spurs doctors clearing him, Leonard's own independent team has held him out. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has gone out of his way to mention Leonard's "team" or "group" publicly when asked about the situation.

"You'll have to ask Kawhi and his group that question," Popovich told reporters during the Spurs' first-round series against the Golden State Warriors. "So far, they say that he's not ready to go. So we can't do anything until that happens. Then, we would have to decide what's going on from there. But that's the first thing that has to happen."

Michael C. Wright of ESPN reported the Spurs are planning an "all-hands-on-deck summer meeting" with Leonard to repair the relationship. Popovich met last summer with LaMarcus Aldridge, who had requested a trade after being unhappy with his usage his first two years with the franchise.

If the Spurs are unable to repair the relationship, a trade could happen as soon as June's NBA draft. The Sixers will have a lottery pick and have a combination of young players that could entice San Antonio in a potential trade.

The Clippers seem like an illogical fit from an odds perspective because they have no rising young stars and their best player, DeAndre Jordan, is heading for free agency. 

The best bet from a monetary perspective is the Boston Celtics at +1100. They could package Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown as the centerpiece of a deal, along with other players and draft picks. Adding Leonard to a core that already includes Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford would instantly make Boston the favorite in the East.

At 11-1, that's a potential steal.