Like it or not, Clippers must do the unthinkable with Kawhi Leonard

After an offseason where the entire NBA decided to count them out, the LA Clippers have taken the rest of the league by storm through the first week of the season. They followed up a close opening night loss to the Phoenix Suns with impressive road wins over the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors. Even more impressive is the fact that they have done it without their best player.

Still sitting on the sideline due to continued swelling in his knee, Kawhi Leonard remains out indefinitely for the Clippers. The medical updates on his situation have been less than promising, with repeated updates from insiders giving the same general message - that he is not yet ready to come back, but the team believes they will have a way to mitigate his injuries going forward.

In the meantime, the fanbase continues to grow more impatient with Kawhi. At his best, he remains one of the most transcendent talents in the world, but his availability keeps holding him back. Leonard has been unable to finish the season healthy in four of his five years in Los Angeles, including the last four seasons in a row.

The more we begin to ponder the future of the Clippers franchise, and especially considering the team's solid play as of late, we must begin to consider what would have been thought an unthinkable option in years past. LA is going to have to consider trading Kawhi Leonard.

It's time for the Clippers to trade Kawhi Leonard

Yes, it is a wild idea, but it may just be the Clippers' most clear path forward. Leonard is a top-level game-changer on both sides of the basketball, and we have seen him elevate his teams to incredible levels. However, what the Clippers have been left with in recent years is early playoff exits while the fanbase is left uttering phrases like, "well, when Kawhi is healthy things will be different," and "if we're healthy we can win a championship."

The problem is, the idea of actually having Leonard finish an entire regular season and playoffs healthy is looking more and more like a fantasy than something that will actually come to fruition. The gamble has always been that Kawhi's injury troubles will be worth it if and when he can lead the Clippers to a title. But five years have gone by, and LA is still dealing in terms of hypotheticals.

Fans can boast that the Clippers could have, should have, and would have won X, Y, and Z playoff matchup with Kawhi healthy. The fact of the matter is that they did not, and Leonard was sitting on the sideline.

This past summer, the Clippers moved on from Paul George because it was clear that the Kawhi-PG pairing was one that had already reached its max potential. Perhaps it is time for management to use the same line of thinking when it comes to the concept of having Leonard as this team's best player. Less than a year ago this would have seemed a ridiculous statement, but LA's improved play without him may give them the freedom to think differently.

As of right now, Kawhi Leonard still likely has a decent amount of trade value. He just finished a regular season where he played 68 games and earned All-NBA honors. While the Clippers did just sign Leonard to an extension, they may be best to work on finding a trade suitor now rather than later. If Kawhi remains hampered by injuries throughout the current season, it stands to reason that his value will be much lower come next offseason.