How Kawhi Leonard forced his way out of San Antonio; a timeline

Disagreements over how to handle a mysterious quad injury appear to have torpedoed what was once a terrific relationship.

A year ago, Kawhi Leonard was the MVP candidate of a 61-win model Spurs franchise, with a legitimate case for being the best player in the league. He was the heir to Tim Duncan’s throne, the next in a long line of San Antonio legends.

Now, he’s a Toronto Raptor. With one year left on his current contract, Leonard fulfilled a right of passage for many superstars: convey your intentions not to re-sign in order to force a trade to your preferred destination. We just never expected that he’d be following that same path one year ago — or that he’d head north to Canada for relatively little in return.

How did we get here? It centers around a mysterious injury and goes even deeper.

The injury

To sum it up: Kawhi Leonard never recovered from a nagging offseason quadriceps injury, and the Spurs and Leonard’s representatives quarreled about how to best treat the ailment. Those quarrels eventually spilled over enough to sour the relationship.

Leonard only played in nine games last season and didn’t touch the court after Jan. 13. Leonard’s basketball journey this season was a roller coaster ride with more downs than ups. Charting his injury — one Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said he’d never seen before — was nerve-wracking: one week he was expected to return soon; the next, he was still out rehabbing his quad. He wasn’t even with the team during their five-game first-round loss to the Warriors.

There were other factors that explain Leonard’s desire to go elsewhere, but the deterioration in his relationship with the Spurs starts here. Here’s a timeline of this injury and all the friction that occurred because of it:

Sept. 30

Leonard’s injury was first revealed at the Spurs’ intrasquad scrimmage in late September.

“We’re still rehabbing his thigh,” Popovich said, “He’ll probably miss the beginning of preseason or a good deal of preseason, and we’re not going to put a timetable (on a return). But he’s working at it, and we’ll get him back as soon as we can.”

Oct. 13

Two weeks later, the Spurs confirmed Leonard would miss the season opener and there was still no timetable on his return.

“I don’t gauge it,” Popovich said. “He’s still rehabbing and when he’s ready, he’ll be ready. I try not to qualify it.”

Oct. 20

Leonard was filmed walking up the stairs of a plane, and he was struggling. The context was Leonard had just come back from a rehab workout, but still. That’s tough to watch.

Oct. 21

Popovich offered an incredibly brief update the next day.

"He's progressing," Popovich told reporters. "I'll just leave it at that."

Nov. 7

Popovich seemed to hint Leonard’s slow progress was confusing to him, too.

But Popovich also said Leonard was “going in the right direction.”

Nov. 15

The Spurs finally gave what appeared to be good news about Leonard’s injury, saying he would be back “sooner than later.” Of course, Popovich immediately walked back slightly on that quote.

From the San Antonio Express-News:

Asked if there is “light at the end of the tunnel” for the Spurs’ linchpin player, Popovich said, “Oh, sure. He’s gonna be back sooner rather than later.”

The coach then paused before adding, “Whatever nebulous (stuff that was). As soon as I said it, I thought, ‘What the hell does that mean?’ “

Dec. 12

Leonard returns, and he looks good. For nine games, The Claw averages 25 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 3.2 steals and just under two steals a game. Leonard does not play in the second of Spurs’ back-to-backs. He only plays games that are spaced out by two or more days.

Jan. 2

Leonard goes off for a season-high 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals in a win over the Knicks.

Jan. 17

The Spurs list Leonard as out indefinitely as he continues rehabbing his right quadriceps tendinopathy. More about his status here.

Jan. 22

ESPN reports that there’s a growing rift between Leonard and the organization. General manager R.C. Buford refutes the rift, but did admit that the injury recovery process has been difficult.

“This has been difficult for everyone,” Buford told ESPN. “It’s been difficult for Kawhi. He’s an elite-level player. It’s been difficult for the team, because they want to play with a great teammate. And it’s been difficult for our staff. Historically we’ve been able to successfully manage injuries. This rehab hasn’t been simple, and it hasn’t gone in a linear fashion.”

Feb. 5

Leonard headed to New York, where he spends three weeks seeking further consultation on his quadriceps injury, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Leonard isn’t expected to immediately start engaging in full 5-on-5 practices with his teammates, but the goal is to advance toward that level of engagement in the near future, league sources said.

While in New York, Leonard worked out at the NBA Players Association gym.

Feb. 21

Popovich told reporters it’s unlikely San Antonio’s All-Star forward make a return this season:

“I’ll be surprised if he returns this season,” Pop said. “Well, we only have X number of games left in the season, and he’s still not ready to go. If by some chance he is, it’s gonna be pretty late into the season; and it’s going to be a pretty tough decision -- how late to bring somebody back. So that’s why I’m just trying to be honest and logical. I’ll be surprised if he gets back this year.”

Feb. 27

Leonard returns to San Antonio after spending three weeks in New York with specialists.

March 4

Negotiations between Leonard and Jordan Brand on a new signature shoe line break down abruptly, reportedly because Leonard’s representatives don’t believe the deal is in line with Leonard’s accomplishments.

March 7

Leonard addresses the media publicly for the first time since stepping away from the team. He tells reporters he still intends on returning to the court this season. When?

“Soon,” he said, according to The San Antonio Express-News’ Tom Orsborn. “I don’t have a set date right now. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing. The progression that I am making has been great. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Leonard also denied all reports of friction between he and the Spurs.

March 22

With Leonard’s status still in limbo, Manu Ginobili raised some eyebrows with the following comment:

“He is not coming back. For me, he’s not coming back because it’s not helping [to think Leonard is returning]. We fell for it a week ago again. I guess you guys made us fall for it. But we have to think that he’s not coming back, that we are who we are, and that we got to fight without him. That shouldn’t be changing, at least until he is ready for the jump ball.”

The Spurs also began listing Leonard’s status as “return from injury management.”

The next day, Tony Parker, who recovered from a similar quad injury in less time, said his ailment was “a hundred time worse” than Leonard’s:

March 23

The Spurs held a players-only meeting asking Leonard to return, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The meeting was described as “tense” and “emotional.”

Multiple Spurs players disputed the reporting.

April 16

Leonard did not join the Spurs for any of their five playoff games, instead returning to New York to rehab the injury.

After a Game 2 loss in which LaMarcus Aldridge scored 34 points, Gregg Popovich raised eyebrows with the following postgame comment:

“LaMarcus has been a monster all year long,” Popovich said. “He’s led our team at both ends of the floor. He doesn’t complain about a darn thing out on the court. He just plays through everything. I can’t imagine being more proud of a player as far as playing through adversity and being there for his teammates night after night after night. He’s been fantastic.”

Was that a shot at Leonard? Popovich dodged the question the next day.

May 1

ESPN’s Ramona Shelborne and Michael C. Wright release a story that details the growing tension between the Spurs and Leonard. Among the revelations: Leonard’s representatives — agent Mitch Frankel and uncle Dennis Robertson — are at odds with other members of Leonard’s camp.

June 13

Leonard’s former agent, Brian Elfus, files a lawsuit against Frankel for allegedly failing to pay Elfus commission on his client.

June 14

With renewed optimism that the relationship could be repaired, Gregg Popovich traveled to New York to meet with Leonard. That optimism appears to have been short-lived.

July 18

Leonard is traded, along with three-and-D wing Danny Green, to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a top-20 protected 2019 first-round pick that converts to two second-round picks if not exercised. It’s a surprisingly weak return for the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, but it does bring a four-time All-Star (and the three years and $85 million remaining on his contract) to San Antonio.