4 Teams That Could Realistically Trade for Kawhi Leonard

If the Kawhi Leonard era comes to an end in Los Angeles, these four teams stand out as the favorites to land him.

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There is obviously no indication that there are active discussions about a Kawhi Leonard trade in Los Angeles. The Clippers are heavily invested in the 34-year-old star. Moving on from him would require a massive pivot for the franchise. If the 6-19 Clippers continue struggling, however, they may not have a choice. Either Leonard will request a trade, or the Clippers have to start rebuilding.

Leonard's age and injury concerns make him a tough trade target. Only a desperate team would be willing to take the risk of trading for Leonard. His $50 million salary for this season make salary-matching difficult during the season. Yet, there are still a handful of teams who may think that if Leonard were to stay healthy for a playoff run, he could lead them to a title. Those teams could be willing to swing big for the Klaw.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns are playing well above expectations, firmly in the playoff race in the Western Conference. Would they mess that up by taking a big swing on Kawhi Leonard?

While that may seem unlikely at first, it's important to remember that the Suns owner Mat Ishbia has made big splashes already during his short tenure. He went all-in for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Even though those moves didn't work out for him, he could easily be enticed by Kawhi's big-name allure.

Plus, Phoenix should be an appealing destination for Leonard, with his proximity to his hometown. The Suns could offer a trade package consisting of Jalen Green and Grayson Allen in a potential win-win deal.

Miami Heat

Miami has long been an attractive landing spot for stars. Pat Riley likes chasing superstars and Leonard could be his latest big swing. The Heat could be seeing itself as one move away from championship contention in the weak Eastern Conference.

With a trade centered around Andrew Wiggins, the Heat could easily put together an enticing package for the Clippers.

Golden State Warriors

Mechanically, this is a difficult trade to construct, unless the Warriors were willing to move on from Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. That seems unlikely, so the Warriors would need to give up at least four players in this deal, creating roster spot issues. The likes of Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and Moses Moody could be intriguing for the Clippers, but the sides would need a third or fourth team to facilitate a deal.

That could be too complicated for an in-season trade, but considering that the Warriors are a disappointing 13-12 for the season, they could convince themselves of a Leonard trade.

Toronto Raptors

Leonard's best moments in the NBA remain his lone season in Toronto. His short-lived Raptors tenure ended with a title before he signed with the Clippers in the 2019 offseason. Interestingly enough, Toronto is in a similar situation as they were when they traded for him in 2018. In a weak Eastern Conference, the Raptors are lacking a true No. 1 option which could catapult them to contender status.

Whether the Raptors or Leonard would have interest in a reunion is unclear, but Toronto has enough to make the trade work. Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl could all be the part of a trade to bring Leonard back to Canada.