Report: Warriors Made 'Determined Trade Run' for Superstar Hour Before Deadline

After the Los Angeles Clippers traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac, it stood to reason that Kawhi Leonard could be gettable as well before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

And the Warriors reportedly made a push for him.

"The Warriors made what has been described as a determined trade run at the Clippers' Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before the Feb. 5 trade buzzer sounded under the belief that Leonard might be unexpectedly unavailable after LA agreed to ship Ivica Zubac to Indiana," The Stein Line's Marc Stein wrote Sunday. "The Clippers ultimately balked then, but it is reasonable to presume that Golden State will investigate that possibility once again."

Leonard is signed through the 2026-27 season. The 34-year-old will make $50.3 million next season.

What a Leonard Trade Would've Looked Like

The Warriors agreed to trade Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Kristaps Porzinigs on Feb. 4. So to make the money work for a Leonard trade, they would have had to deal either Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green.

My guess is the Warriors were offering Butler and pick(s) for Leonard, as their salaries are similar.

The Clippers are arguably more stuck than the Warriors, as they either have outright traded or dealt swap rights for each of their next four first-round picks.

So on the one hand, the Clippers probably should embrace a rebuild, and getting draft capital from the Warriors could accelerate that rebuild. But on the other hand, bottoming out in the standings won't help them because their picks will be sent to the teams that own them.

In summary, the Clippers aren't likely to trade Leonard this offseason, but if they did put him on the market, the Warriors should explore trading Butler and picks for him, as Leonard is one of the few small forwards in the NBA who is clearly an upgrade over Butler.

Kawakami Argues That the Warriors Should Go After Leonard or James

The San Francisco Standard's Tim Kawakami wrote a column Saturday arguing that the Warriors should make a push for Leonard or LeBron James this offseason.

"It’s possible. It’s big and it’s a bit reckless. But going hard after either Kawhi or LeBron is exactly what the moment is demanding of the Warriors right now. And Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy probably already put all of this and more on the white board months ago.

"Do you go big for a brand-name star who might make things uncomfortable but also multiplies your title chances? Or do nothing and let this era slide away?"

For James to become a Warrior, he'd more than likely have to take the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $15.1 million this offseason.

If he's willing to do that, it's more realistic that he ends in the Bay than Leonard.