It looks like San Antonio Spurs’ forward Kawhi Leonard is calling his 2018 NBA season a wrap. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Spurs forward has been medically cleared to return from the right quad tendinopathy injury, but since shutting it down after only 9 games this year, he has elected against returning to the active roster, sources said. If Leonard does return, it will be because he has decided he can manage the pain of the injury, but that doesn't look to be happening.
Having been away from the Spurs the past couple weeks, Leonard has been in NYC getting a second opinion.
On Wednesday, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters that he would be "surprised" if Leonard returns this season. "We only have X number of games left in the season, and he's still not ready to go," Popovich told reporters in San Antonio on Wednesday. "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.”
The strange injury to Kawhi’s hip has caused a ton of tension between the Spurs organization & the star forward, with possible implications spilling over into the 2019 free agency next Summer.
We’ll keep you posted if any further info is revealed, but for now it doesn't look like Kawhi will be taking the bball court again this year.
