Tyler Rourke
The Los Angeles Clippers have held on to Kawhi Leonard despite recent rumors surrounding his name. Now, Chris Haynes reports if he and the Clippers don’t agree on an extension this summer, he is expected to be traded.
Leonard, a seven-time All-Star, resurrected his career this past season, averaging 27.9 points per game, the most in any year of his career. If there is any time to move the 34-year-old, it is right now. Especially after LA drafted a potential replacement in Keaton Wagler on Tuesday night.
With that in mind, let’s look at five potential destinations if Leonard is moved in the coming weeks.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are building an incredibly deep team, one that took the NBA champion New York Knicks to six games in the first round of the playoffs. Right now, they suffer from having too many players searching for minutes. Cashing in on some of the players who won’t get to see the floor for Leonard would be the perfect thing for Atlanta to do.
In this hypothetical, Atlanta would send Jonathan Kuminga, Zaccharie Risacher, Asa Newell, and draft capital to the Clippers for Leonard. Atlanta would become a defensive juggernaut, with Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Leonard, and Onyeka Okongwu. It also addresses their need for another go-to scorer. It allows the Clippers to continue their youth movement and stockpile future assets.
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors were one of the frontrunners when it came to the Leonard sweepstakes ahead of the draft. A simple Jimmy Butler-for-Leonard swap works financially, but it would have to include more than that.
Now that the Warriors have used their 11th pick on Yaxel Lendenborg, this trade looks a little different. In this hypothetical, Los Angeles still would accept the Butler contract, but would likely ask for future picks multiple years down the road. That way, when the Warriors’ core retires in a few years, the Clippers own their picks, which should be valuable. Leonard would add yet another scoring threat to the Warriors alongside Stephen Curry. He fits the team’s timeline and could offer relief with Butler out for the majority of next season.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets could be a dark horse in acquiring a big-name trade candidate. They have the expiring contract of Miles Bridges, as well as other contracts, to get something done. In this hypothetical, it would take Bridges, Tidjane Salaun, and Josh Green to acquire Leonard.
Leonard would bring a different style of play to the Hornets team, which may be exactly what they need. An extreme upgrade from Bridges, Leonard could be the go-to option, allowing the younger players in Charlotte to grow. While the Hornets’ core is still young, Leonard lifts their ceiling and legitimately could make them a championship contender next season.
Detoit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons have recently made Isaiah Stewart available for trade. There are multiple routes they could take if they want to acquire Leonard. It would likely revolve around a sign-and-trade to send Tobias Harris to the Clippers or be a four-for-one. That would look like Stewart, Duncan Robinson, Caris Levert, Ron Holland, and draft picks.
Detroit desperately needs shot creation outside of Cade Cunningham. Although they addressed the need by drafting Ebuka Okorie, you shouldn’t rely too much on the rookie to contribute. After finishing the season as the one seed in the Eastern Conference, Detroit could easily make a splash for Leonard to strengthen its chances going into next season.
Denver Nuggets
Although Aaron Gordon is a fan favorite for the Denver Nuggets, he could be the primary piece to a Leonard trade after his history of injuries. On top of Gordon, it would have to be Christian Braun and a boatload of draft picks, but paying that price to put Leonard next to Nikola Jokic would be well worth it.
A trio of Jokic, Leonard, and Jamal Murray would be an all-time great, and easily gives them a chance to compete for a championship. They would still hold on to guys like Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, and other rotational players, so it wouldn’t necessarily hurt their depth much. Leonard would be the ideal pairing alongside Jokic in the frontcourt and would offer some scoring outside of Jokic and Murray.
