Kawhi Leonard said on Wednesday morning that he hopes to return to the San Antonio Spurs "soon." And looking even further into the future, he said he wants to spend the rest of his career with the franchise.
"Soon," Leonard said, when asked how close he was to getting back. "I don't have a set date right now, but I just gotta keep doing what I'm doing. The progress that I'm making is great."
A pesky and mysterious quad injury has limited Leonard to just nine games this season, and he hasn't played since Jan. 13. He has recently returned to the Spurs facility to work out with the team, but coach Gregg Popovich has noted he would be "surprised" if Leonard plays again this season.
As for his long-term future with the Spurs, Leonard indicated that he wants to play in San Antonio for the rest of his career.
Asked if he would like to finish his career as a Spur, Leonard said, "Yeah, for sure." #Spurs
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) March 7, 2018
While it isn't much of a surprise that Leonard said this -- what else is he going to say publicly -- there have been rumors of his discontent with the organization. A report from Adrian Wojnarowski earlier this season said the quad injury was leading to a disconnect between Leonard and the Spurs. Leonard's camp denied this report.
When free agency begins this summer, the Spurs will be able to offer Leonard a five-year "supermax" extension worth $219 million.
