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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Los Angeles Clippers are at a crossroads. Kawhi Leonard is coming off arguably the best season of his career at 34 years old, but he's got just one year left on his deal. Extension talks have been ongoing for months, but many around the league are saying an extension can't get done before his current NBA investigation has been completed. And even then, he and the Clippers might not be able to reach an agreement with the franchise getting younger and Kawhi going in the opposite direction.
As a result, trade rumors have also been swirling for months. With NBA free agency set to get underway, Kawhi could be on the move in the coming weeks. Reports have surfaced linking the two-time Finals MVP and two-time Defensive Player of the Year to multiple teams. But if a deal is on the horizon, which teams are the most likely to land Kawhi Leonard? Here are three potential landing spots.
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Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have been the one team most strongly linked to Leonard for months. They reportedly reached out to the Clippers about him both at the trade deadline and heading into this offseason. Golden State wants to win one more with Steph Curry, now 38, Draymond Green, 36, and head coach Steve Kerr, and believes Leonard might be the missing piece.
The appeal is obvious. His ability to create his own shot, defend every position on the floor, and thrive in a system built around spacing and ball movement makes him a natural fit. The biggest issue is commitment. Leonard has reportedly shown no interest in signing a long-term extension with the Warriors, which makes any deal essentially a one-year rental. Of course, the last time he did that, he won a championship (Toronto, 2019).
San Antonio Spurs
Leonard won his first championship and Finals MVP with San Antonio back in 2014. But the basketball fit is arguably even stronger than the sentimental case. Pairing Leonard with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper would create a terrifying unit on both ends of the floor. Crucially, the Spurs are one of just two teams, outside of the Clippers, that Leonard would consider signing a long-term deal with, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
San Antonio's loss in the NBA Finals to New York proved they're still a piece away, and adding a battle-tested, championship-winning veteran who knows the organization might be exactly what they need. The issue is that he doesn't exactly have the best history with the franchise. He famously forced his way out of San Antonio in 2018, only for Spurs fans to go watch him win another title with the Raptors one year later.
Speaking of the Raptors ...
Toronto Raptors
Leonard seemed pretty excited when he left Toronto to go back home to LA seven years ago. Some believe he never truly wanted to be a Raptor from the moment he got traded. Yet, Fischer reported Toronto as the other place Leonard has said he'd consider signing a long-term deal with, and the Raptors are actively pursuing a blockbuster trade. They were linked to both Giannis Antetokounmpo and LaMelo Ball before the former ended up in Miami and the latter in Minnesota.
The Raptors also have the pieces to make it work and keep the Clippers happy. A potential trade package could center around Brandon Ingram, Jacob Poeltl, and picks in exchange for Leonard and center Isaiah Jackson. LA gets a veteran starting center and an efficient 20-point-per-game scorer in Ingram, Leonard gets to potentially repeat history with the same city he helped deliver its first-ever championship back in 2019.
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