Kawhi Leonard wants out of San Antonio, and the disgruntled Spurs forward reportedly has the Knicks on his wish list.
"People close to Leonard" have expressed a desire for him to play for the Knicks, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.
Leonard has also been linked to the Lakers and Clippers -- who he has near the top of his list, and the Celtics -- who would be interested in engaging the Spurs if they make Leonard available, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The 26-year-old Leonard would be leaving $80 million on the table if he was traded by the Spurs. If he remains with the Spurs, he can sign a five-year extension worth $219 million this summer. If he's traded, the most an acquiring team can offer him is $139 million over four years.
Leonard is set to earn $20.1 million next season and $21.3 million in the 2019-20 season.
He averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in just nine games this past season as he dealt with an injured quad. And the way the quad was handled was at the center of his rift with the Spurs during the season.
Leonard played in 72 games for the Spurs in 2015-16 and 74 games in 2016-17, when he was one of the most productive players in the league.
The Knicks currently have $99.9 million in committed salary for next season, with that number dropping to $64.2 million for the 2019-20 season.