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Kawhi Leonard Rumors: Spurs Star May Show Up to USA Basketball Minicamp in Vegas
July 17, 2018
Having so far spent the offseason seemingly in isolation, San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard might attend the USA Basketball minicamp in Las Vegas, ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne reported Tuesday.
The minicamp begins July 25 and runs for three days.
USA Basketball announced in April its 35-player roster pool for the next Olympic cycle, with Leonard among the invitees. Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant is also on the squad, and Turner Sports analyst David Aldridge reported the two-time NBA Finals MVP will travel to Vegas.
According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, San Antonio is still discussing a Leonard trade with other teams. The Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards have been in touch with the Spurs.
The market for Leonard has been surprisingly lukewarm considering he's a two-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Leonard's health is a big reason for that. He missed all but nine games in 2017-18, and nobody knows how he's going to look when he returns from his quadriceps injury. One Eastern Conference general manager told Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher that lingering question is turning off some teams:
"It seems like every other player is putting out a video on social media of them working out. If Kawhi did one, he'd instantly get 35,000 hits, and half of them would be from NBA GMs. How can you make a deal or even an offer without knowing if he can play? He's got to be seen. If he came out and played in preseason and looked good, you'd definitely see teams trying harder to get him."
By showing up to the USA Basketball minicamp, Leonard could ease the concern.
Working out with the national team isn't the same thing as playing in the NBA regular season, but it's far more than fans and front office personnel have seen of Leonard this summer.