Western Conference Finals Should Make It Easier for Clippers to Trade Kawhi Leonard

NBA fans witnessed one of the best basketball games in recent memory on Monday night. Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals exceeded all already-high expectations. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, who were the two best teams in the league, proved once again that they are miles ahead of the competition. Given how young, talented, and full of future assets they are, they will be dominating the NBA for years to come.

While that is clearly a bad sign for the rest of the league, especially West teams, it also helps clarify their rivals' plans. The Los Angeles Clippers should take lessons from this playoff series and enact a vision for the franchise accordingly.

The most important lesson for the Clippers is that they are nowhere near competing with either of these teams any time soon. They don't have the young players, assets, or draft capital to do enough to close the gap between themselves and the top of the league.

Which brings us to their Kawhi Leonard decision. If the Clippers have no shot of contending over the next few years, there is very little reason to keep Leonard in LA.

Clippers Have No Choice But to Trade Kawhi Leonard After Seeing OKC-Spurs Series

The 34-year-old superstar is entering the final year of his contract. The Clippers have to give him a lucrative, multi-year extension to keep him around. While Leonard has yet to commit to the franchise for the future, the Clippers have expressed a desire to try to build a winner around Leonard.

This would be a mistake. Leonard, in his mid-30s, surrounded by Darius Garland and average role players, is not going to be enough to challenge the Spurs or the Thunder in any meaningful way.

It's not like the Clippers have blue-chip prospects coming down the pipeline who they hope can turn into stars one day. The No. 5 pick in this year's draft is not enough for the Clippers to convince themselves that they are a few offseason moves away from contention.

Taking a step back over the next several years and patiently building will set the Clippers up better for the future. Instead of chasing a playoff spot to be a first-round fodder for the Spurs or the Thunder, LA could turn Leonard into future first-round picks and young talent.

There are teams around the league who could be Kawhi Leonard away from challenging the Spurs or the Thunder. Detroit, Minnesota, Golden State, and Houston come to mind. The Clippers are not one of those teams that can close the gap. It behooves GM Lawrence Frank and owner Steve Ballmer to see the writing on the wall and pivot before it's too late.

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