The San Antonio Spurs have an extremely important decision to make this offseason, as the organization will have an opportunity to offer forward Kawhi Leonard a 'super-max' contract worth $219 million over five years.

A year ago, it seemed like the Spurs offering Leonard - a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the 2014 Finals MVP - the max deal would be a no-brainer. However after a season of drama and controversy surrounding Leonard's lingering quad injury and how it was handled, it no longer seems like such a certainty. Instead, the Spurs reportedly plan to meet with Leonard early in the offseason to figure out whether or not the two sides can iron out their differences.

While the Spurs want to see commitment from Kawhi moving forward, Leonard himself apparently has some tweaks that he would like to see from the Spurs side. According to a report from the New York Daily News, Leonard wants Gregg Popovich to "lighten up."

From the New York Daily News:

For years, the Spurs have been hailed as the gold standard of NBA franchises. But between trust issues, Leonard being detached from the team and Tony Parker questioning the severity of the injury, this was the most un-Spurs-like thing we’ve ever witnessed. And there will be more plot twists in the coming weeks and months. The Spurs have the option this summer to offer Leonard the “super-max”: a five-year contract worth $219 million. If he were to be traded to another team, he would receive a substantially reduced salary, perhaps as much as $80 million over the length of what would be a four-year deal. Financially, it makes sense for Leonard to want to remain in San Antonio. The Spurs, though, have a difficult decision on their hands. Do you invest the richest contract in franchise history for a player who didn’t exactly rush back to play this season and who has missed a ton of games over his career? In his first six seasons, Leonard missed 78 games. This year he was out 73. That’s nearly two full seasons of games missed in seven years. “Don’t you have to sign him,” asks one rival executive. “From what I understand, he wants (Gregg) Popovich to lighten up a little with practice and tweak some things. The Spurs may not want to change their ways, but this is Kawhi Leonard we’re talking about.”

Leonard last appeared in a game for the Spurs on January 13, and the All-Star forward appeared in just nine total games during the 2017-18 season as he continues to deal with his quad injury. During those nine appearances, Leonard was unable to perform at the high level that he has established for himself over recent seasons, as he posted averages of 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on 46.8 percent shooting from the field and 31.4 percent from beyond the arc; numbers that are all below his career averages.

When healthy, Leonard is one of the best two-way players in the league, and he has played a major part in the Spurs' recent success. However, Popovich doesn't seem like the type of coach that would alter his entire approach just to accommodate a single player, no matter how good that player is. So, if Pop changing up is a prerequisite to Leonard staying with the Spurs, it might be time for him to start looking for a new team.