1. The LA Clippers trade Kawhi Leonard to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With the way the postseason ended for the Cavaliers, they could trade with the LA Clippers for Kawhi Leonard to pair with Darius Garland. This gives them a superstar with more than enough experience to shift them back into championship contention.
Moreover, this trade also provides the LA Clippers with some youth while still being talented enough to compete for a title in the stacked Western Conference.
On that note, the LA Clippers will receive a superstar in Donovan Mitchell and a great defender in Isaac Okoro while only giving up Leonard and draft compensation. This is exactly what both teams need as their struggles shined bright during the first round of the playoffs.
For the LA Clippers, they will be capable of much more next season with Mitchell at the helm, especially considering that he is coming off the best season of his career. What’s more is that he recently made an all-NBA second team, which adds to why he is one of the best players the Clippers’ front office can trade for.
However, one of the most significant upsides to a player like Mitchell is that he doesn’t bring any injury concerns to the LA Clippers. While Leonard may be slightly more talented on the court, his minimal availability is why the Clippers have never made it to the NBA Finals.
For a team like the Cavaliers, their stars struggled during the playoffs. Adding Leonard solves this issue, as he is one of the best playoff performers the NBA has ever seen. If he can manage his health throughout the regular season, Cleveland could quickly return to the top of the Eastern Conference.