Clippers' Priority in Kawhi Leonard Trade Should Be Clear

The Los Angeles Clippers have to be smart about which direction they want to go if Kawhi Leonard chooses to leave.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard have hitched their wagons to one another ever since the star forward joined the organization in 2019. The Clippers went above and beyond to keep Leonard happy in LA, consistently gave up their future to try to win in the present, and chose to live by Kawhi and die by Kawhi.

While this approach didn't produce results that both sides were hoping for, it made a lot of sense for the Clippers. Leonard was the best player ever to choose to sign with the Clippers, and he gave them their best shot at relevance and competitiveness.

With Leonard's future in LA now murkier than ever, the Clippers can no longer afford to prioritize the 34-year-old superstar. If he asks out of LA, the Clippers have to prioritize themselves. And that means taking the best offer possible.

If Kawhi Leonard Wants to Leave, Clippers Must Do What's Best for Themselves

The best offer has to allow the Clippers to rebuild for the future. LA can't focus on getting veterans or another star back to stay competitive. Instead, they need as much draft capital as possible. They have to fill their asset coffers, both in terms of draft picks and young players, so that they can build a sustainable winner in the long run. The fact that Darius Garland is only 26 years old allows the Clippers to be patient with the process.

Since we know very little about what Leonard wants to do, a lot of this is pure speculation. Kawhi didn't commit to the Clippers after the Play-In loss to the Warriors. He didn't say that he was going to explore his options, but he didn't explicitly say that he was hoping to sign a contract extension, either. With only one year left on his contract, this leaves the door open for all sorts of trade possibilities.

The Clippers can't afford to start the season with Leonard on an expiring contract. Regardless of whether Kawhi explicitly asks for a trade or not, the Clippers would have to consider moving him at that point.

There should be plenty of suitors for Leonard's services. The star forward had one of the best seasons of his career. He was largely healthy and impressively productive and efficient. If he is on the trade block, there will be a slew of interested teams.

Leonard may not be interested in all of these teams. He may refuse to sign a contract extension with his new team. He could try to force his way to a specific team.

If this team can't give the Clippers the best trade package, however, LA can't acquiesce. They have to put themselves first, and if that means sending Leonard somewhere he isn't perfectly happy with, so be it.