After their whirlwind season came to an end with elimination at the hands of the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday night, the focus immediately switches to the summer for the San Antonio Spurs.

According to ESPN's Michael C. Wright, a meeting with superstar Kawhi Leonard is at the top of their list of priorities.

The small forward played just nine games all year and mysteriously chose not to return from a right quad injury despite the Spurs medical staff clearing him to do so.

His absence became a saga throughout the campaign as head coach Gregg Popovich and several players constantly had to answer questions about Leonard and when he was expected to return.

The 26-year-old distanced himself from the team and chose to undergo rehab in New York with his own personal medical team.

He also didn't attend a single game in their series with the Warriors which has led to serious questions about his future in San Antonio.

The two-time Defensive Player of the Year will become an unrestricted free agent in 2019 and trade rumours have inevitably been doing the rounds in recent weeks.

But the Spurs are keen to sit down with their star player and work things out in what will be a pivotal offseason for the franchise.

They'll be able to offer him a supermax contract extension worth up to $219 million over five years but that will largely depend on his commitment to the organisation and if he's willing to spend his long-term future in Texas.

"Kawhi, everybody asks questions, but he's still here," teammate Danny Green said, per ESPN. "He's still locked in. He's a part of the team until things change."

The meeting will be headed up by Popovich in an effort to see if they can iron out their differences and continue what has been a positive relationship up to this point.

Kawhi has developed into one of the best players in the NBA with the Spurs and coach Pop and it appeared to be a match made in heaven.

But it's clear that the drama surrounding the All-Star has strained relations between his camp and the franchise in recent months.

Popovich was able to sit down with power forward LaMarcus Aldridge last summer after he requested a trade and convinced him to stay by promising to make him more of a focal point of the team.

The result saw Aldridge enjoy an All-Star year, albeit in the absence of Leonard.

But the legendary Spurs coach is hoping to have a similar conversation with Kawhi in the hope of keeping him in San Antonio for the foreseeable future.

The Spurs will not want this lingering over them for another season and we are likely to see the former Finals MVP either sign a huge extension to stay or secure a trade away.

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