Kawhi Leonard has expressed interest in being traded by the Spurs. Where will he go? Will the Los Angeles Clippers make a play for him?
Friday afternoon, Sham Charania of Yahoo! Sports reported that San Antonio Spurs superstar small forward, two time Defensive Player of the Year, and 2014 NBA Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard wants out of the team.
Story: Spurs star and 2014 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard wants trade out of San Antonio: https://t.co/3SoWrtXlt4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2018
This is following months of speculation that the former San Diego State Aztec was unhappy with the team. Leonard had a season ending injury in Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals after landing on the foot of Golden State Warriors big man Zaza Pachulia. Some claim that it was a dirty play, but nonetheless, Leonard was out for some time. Leonard appeared in only nine games this season, where he didn’t seem to be himself, averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game before he sat out the rest of the season. He seemingly hadn’t recovered from his injury nearly eight months prior.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Spurs held a players only meeting where Leonard and his teammates discussed his injury. Spurs legend Tony Parker made a subtle jab at Leonard when he claimed that he had recovered from a worse injury in less time than Leonard did. It has seemed like an uncomfortable subject for the past few months with many fans making cases as to why their team is the perfect fit. With the superstar small forward wanting to leave, one question remains: where will Kawhi Leonard go?
Possible Trade Destinations
Leonard’s representatives have expressed his interest in playing for a big market, such as Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York.
New York Knicks
The Knicks have likely the biggest market of any NBA team, but aside from Kristaps Porzingis, they don’t have many assets that would intrigue San Antonio. Frank Ntilikina has some value, as well as their 9th overall pick in this years draft, but its not likely that anything happens there.
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers could build a decent package that could be centered on Markelle Fultz, Dario Saric, and the 10th overall pick in this years draft. This is likely one of the betters deals they could get and Kawhi Leonard could join Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid in The Process.
Boston Celtics
Boston, while not being one of the cities listed, can make quite a deal for the Spurs as well. Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, or Jayson Tatum would definitely be moved if they were to trade for Leonard.
Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers
LA is the home to two teams, one that generates most the Kawhi rumors and the other that is a dark horse team in this race.
Sources: So far, Leonard has expressed nothing directly to Spurs about future. Lakers and Clippers interest Leonard -- and both teams would move quickly to assemble packages to acquire Leonard. Spurs won't rush. Leonard and his camp had shown interest in $219M super max deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2018
The Lakers could give up many young assets, such as Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, and Josh Hart. The Lakers could make the most tempting deal for San Antonio.
The Clippers could also build a nice deal for San Antonio, likely including Tobias Harris or DeAndre Jordan along with the 12th and 13th overall picks. It may not be the flashiest trades, but Tobias Harris is one of the most underrated players in the NBA, something only us Clipper fans seem to realize. The Clippers will need to decide if they would rather try to make a contender around the Klaw or take their time and acquire and develop young pieces in coming years.
Conclusion
The LA native is likely going to be moved this off season. It’s always exciting when big trades go down, but it’s important to remember.that just because Leonard has expressed interest in certain teams, he still may go somewhere else entirely. Last summer, Kyrie Irving demanded a trade from the Cavaliers and wanted to go to Miami, Minnesota, New York, or San Antonio but he ended up in Boston. Despite the chances, many fans still hope the Clippers get Leonard. After all, you can’t spell The Klaw without LA.