Kawhi Leonard trade scenarios: Three moves that make sense for Spurs and their unhappy star
Leonard reportedly wants out of San Antonio, and the Spurs might have to trade him
By
Jack Maloney
•
3 min read
In a bit of a shocker out of San Antonio, former two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard reportedly wants out from the Spurs. Various outlets reported the news early on Friday afternoon, though according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Leonard hasn't expressed this desire to the Spurs.
There are a few hazy details in the early stages of this one, but here are the main things we seem to know:
- Leonard wants out of San Antonio, but apparently hasn't requested a trade from the Spurs
- He isn't worried about losing out on the five-year, $219M supermax contract, which he can only get from the Spurs, because he feels a sense of betrayal
- Leonard has his sights set on Los Angeles, but preferably the Lakers
- The Lakers, Clippers and Celtics are all interested
So, considering that Leonard will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and the extra money from the supermax contract is apparently not so enticing to him, it makes sense that the Spurs will explore trade offers. This doesn't mean he's definitely getting traded; the Spurs still do have the leverage of the extra money, which is hard to pass up when it comes time to actually sign, and perhaps if they keep him the relationship can be mended during the upcoming season. But there is a very real possibility he walks for nothing next summer if they don't move him now, so trades have to be considered.
And, well, why not consider a few potential trades ourselves. Here's a look at some moves that could make sense for the Spurs as they stare down one of the most important offseasons in the franchise's storied history. Making a trade before free agency will potentially be a bit tricky for the Spurs, as they currently only have a few tradeable players (not including end-of-bench-guys). Waiting until after free agency could give them, and other teams, more to work with, but the 2018 NBA Draft is only a few days away, so they may be eager to make a deal that could get them a top pick.
Los Angeles Lakers:
Lakers receive: Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills
Spurs receive: Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Luol Deng, No. 25 overall pick in 2018 Draft, future first-round pick
Considering Leonard's preferred destination is reportedly the Lakers, let's start with them. The problem for the Lakers in a potential Leonard trade is they have a plethora of interesting young pieces, but no one player that seems a sure bet. Something like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Luol Deng, the 25th pick in this year's draft and a future first-round pick for Leonard and Patty Mills would work money-wise. But that would require the Spurs to be sold on Ingram and/or Ball being a future star. Because the Lakers' pick this season is late in the first, and considering they acquire Leonard in the trade, future firsts aren't likely to be lottery picks.
LA Clippers:
Clippers receive: Kawhi Leonard
Spurs receive: Tobias Harris, Nos. 12 and 13 overall picks in the 2018 Draft
The other Los Angeles team wants in on the sweepstakes, but it's not clear whether Leonard would want to play there -- and that's something to consider, as Leonard will be a free agent next summer. One thing the Clippers do have at their disposal is multiple lottery picks in next week's draft. Maybe you look at Tobias Harris plus the 12th and 13th picks in this year's draft for Leonard? Is that enough? Probably not, but there's not really anything else between the two teams that makes sense.
Boston Celtics
Celtics receive: Kawhi Leonard
Spurs receive: Kyrie Irving, Memphis Grizzlies' 2019 first-round pick
OK, let's move on to the Celtics. It's no surprise that they've been mentioned in a potential Leonard deal. GM Danny Ainge is always looking for a way to potentially make his team better, and they have one of the best collections of young talent and assets. The problem is that even if the Celtics were willing to part with Jayson Tatum (unlikely) or Jaylen Brown (possible), both players make far less than Leonard, and trying to match money gets pretty complicated. It would make more sense, both money- and talent-wise, for the Celtics to move one of their stars in any potential trade. For simplicity's sake, let's just go with Kyrie Irving and the Memphis Grizzlies' 2019 first-round pick the Celtics own for Leonard.
