3 New Kawhi Leonard Suitors May Have Emerged After 1st Round Results

The Los Angeles Clippers front office has expressed a desire to keep Kawhi Leonard going forward, but that is far from a guarantee.

The league's investigation into the Clippers' dealings with Leonard is ongoing. The Clippers didn't look like a title contender all season. Kawhi Leonard is entering the final year of his contract and hasn't explicitly said that he will sign an extension in the summer. There is certainly a chance that Leonard will want out or the Clippers will want to sell high after the 34-year-old superstar had an amazing season.

If that is the case, the Clippers should have plenty of suitors on the trade market. In fact, after the first round of the playoffs, the number of suitors may have increased. The Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, and Toronto Raptors are now significantly more likely to pursue a Leonard move than they were a couple of weeks ago.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets lost to a Timberwolves team without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo. They look as far from title contention as they ever have in the Nikola Jokic era. They are getting older and more expensive. Given that they wouldn't want to waste another year of Jokic's prime, the Nuggets will presumably want to make big changes this summer.

Trading for Leonard could be one of those changes. The Nuggets could either use Jamal Murray in this trade or include a combination of Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun instead. They will have to include draft capital in the latter scenario, but the Clippers could have interest in either package.

A deal involving Murray would have to require a third team, as it is unlikely that the Clippers would want to pair him with Darius Garland. The Clippers would try to get a younger player in a position of need.

If Leonard prioritizes winning over all else in the final stretch of his career, playing next to Jokic may be his best bet. This could lead him to push his way to Denver.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets suffered a disappointing upset at the hands of the Lakers in the first round. Against a Luka Doncic-less Lakers team, the Rockets looked helpless for most of the series. Houston's offensive execution and production were horrendous, and their need for an elite No. 1 option was obvious.

This is what makes Leonard a clear fit there. They could either use Kevin Durant's salary slot to acquire Leonard or use a combination of Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard in the deal.

Houston is an intriguing trade partner because they have a ton of young assets and draft capital. The Rockets would have no problem beating any other trade offer if they were serious about acquiring Leonard. Considering that they will be desperate to get out of the first round next season after losing early in back-to-back years, the Rockets could certainly make some calls to the Clippers for Kawhi.

Toronto Raptors

What a story this would be. A return to the city where Kawhi Leonard became an icon. Despite playing there for only one season, Leonard led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA Championship before signing with the Clippers in the offseason. Now, the circumstances that led Kawhi to Toronto back then are here once again.

The Raptors have a good playoff team that is in need of a true No. 1 option on offense. They have very good defenders and role players on the team, but lack a superstar. They put up a good fight against Cleveland, but came up short because of injuries and not getting enough out of Brandon Ingram. This is eerily reminiscent of the time the Raptors traded for Leonard in the summer of 2018.

The Raptors could easily convince themselves that they are a Kawhi Leonard away from contention in the weak Eastern Conference. By trading Ingram and draft capital for Leonard, Toronto could pair the superstar forward with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and young stud Collin Murray-Boyles. This could be enough to be a title contender for the next season or two, something Leonard could be intrigued by.

Previously, Leonard showed little desire to stay in Toronto. However, things have changed. If the Raptors are willing to acquire him, give him a contract extension, and try to build a winner around him, Leonard could have significantly more interest in moving to Canada this time around.

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