A blockbuster trade proposal has the Los Angeles Clippers beginning a full-scale rebuild by trading franchise star to a Western Conference heavyweight in a move that would blow up the league.
The 33-year-old Kawhi Leonard has yet to play this season as he continues to recover from a right knee injury. Given Leonard’s age (34 next June) and inability to stay healthy, it simply feels like the Clippers are better of trading him and beginning a rebuild.
Los Angeles was dealt a huge blow when it lost two-way superstar Paul George to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. Without one half of the super duo, the Clippers can’t realistically expect to compete in a deep Western Conference.
Fran Leiva of Fadeaway World proposed a mammoth trade idea that has the Clippers trading Kawhi Leonard to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, De’Anthony Melton, Jonathan Kuminga and a 2026 first-round pick:
“For the Warriors, landing Kawhi is a high-risk, high-reward move, but it could pay off big. Pairing Curry and Kawhi gives them an elite one-two punch of scoring and defense. If Kawhi stays healthy, the Warriors would have a lineup that could challenge anyone in the league. They’re clearly in “win-now” mode, and even with the injury risk, Kawhi’s upside is too good to ignore.
This trade would give the Clippers cap flexibility with Wiggins’s contract and the ability to test Kuminga’s fit in LA. Meanwhile, the Warriors would be doubling down on their championship aspirations, taking a big swing to make the most of Curry’s time. For both teams, it’s a move that could reshape their future.”
Remember there was a time when Kawhi Leonard was the best player in the world?
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— ⁶𓅓²³ (@Tronwyd) November 5, 2024
The Dubs made a gutsy decision to part ways with Klay Thompson and replace him with Buddy Hield, who has emerged as the new super sidekick to Stephen Curry. The 7-1 Warriors further cemented themselves as contenders by defeating the Boston Celtics 118-112 on their court two nights ago.
Golden State is a contender with Curry, Hield, Wiggins and Draymond Green. But a healthy Kawhi Leonard (a two-time NBA Finals MVP and champion) can be the final difference-maker to push Golden State to a fifth championship in the Curry-Green era.
The Kawhi Leonard Era Isn’t What The Clippers Envisioned
The Leonard-Georga era will be full of “what ifs”. The Clippers only advanced past the second round once in five years with the Hall of Fame tandem, and they didn’t have Leonard for their trip to the 2021 Western Conference Finals.
After the Clippers went all-in to land both Leonard and George in 2019, every season became “championship or bust.” The Clippers never got close to that, and it just feels like the right time to trade Leonard now and get valuable pieces to commence their rebuild.
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