After Kawhi Leonard expressed his desire to be traded from the San Antonio Spurs, the model franchise had not publicly addressed the situation until after the 2018 NBA Draft. Despite recently meeting with head coach Gregg Popovich, Leonard made his intentions clear of wanting to play for his hometown Los Angeles Lakers or Clippers via trade or free agency.
Heading into the 2018 NBA Draft, there was the possibility of the Spurs parting ways with Leonard as they were listening to offers. However, they ended up selecting Miami guard Lonnie Walker with the No. 18 pick and USC forward Chimezie Metu with the No.