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Kawhi Leonard has been the center of many trade rumors ever since he made it evident he wants out of San Antonio. Many teams have popped up since then: Los Angeles, New York, Boston, San Antonio itself, and a new favorite: Toronto. It seems like every day, there is a new report on where Leonard will go and where he wants to play.
Also read: 5 possible trade packages for Kawhi Leonard
He made it evident a few months back that Los Angeles is his preferred destination, and now with LeBron James there, why not? It was then found out that Boston wished to trade for Leonard just before the deadline. The Spurs declined in the hope that they could mend things with him. Then a couple of weeks ago, a report from Leonard's camp was that he wished to play for the Clippers and not stay in LeBron's shadow (Kyrie much?).
It is a complete mystery as to which jersey Leonard will be wearing at the start of the upcoming NBA season, but here are his five most likely destinations.
#5 Philadelphia 76ers
While trading for Kawhi Leonard would probably cost an arm and a leg, the Philadelphia 76ers possess the assets to trade for the former Finals MVP. Trading Markelle Fultz, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless, and future picks may get the job done, but it's still quite a long shot.
With Fultz not having played much and coming off an injury, the Spurs may not consider trading Leonard unless Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid are in the package, and the Philadelphia 76ers consider both of them "untouchable".
4. Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers don't seem like a favorite to sign Kawhi Leonard at first. But recent reports from Leonard's camp have indicated he wishes to play for the Clippers rather than the Lakers.
The Clippers don't have assets to trade like Boston, Philadelphia or the Lakers, but with more than impressive performances from their youngsters, including Sindarius Thornwell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Spurs could look to rebuild with a young core and a veteran in LaMarcus Aldridge. Still, the Clippers would have to add some attractive draft picks for San Antonio to think about trading Leonard.
#3 Los Angeles Lakers
The Spurs have apparently asked for Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and two future first round picks for Kawhi Leonard. Sounds bizarre, right? Not completely.
When Leonard becomes a free agent next year, he'll also have the option of signing with the Thunder, which hurts the chances of the Los Angeles Lakers getting out of the Western Conference Playoffs even more. However, the Lakers have made it clear that they will not trade their young core for him.
With all this being said, Leonard and LeBron James seem like one heck of a duo, paired along with talented youngsters including Kuzma, Ingram and Ball, not to mention veterans such as Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee. This scenario, if it happens, will probably occur in the 2019 free agency window.
#2 San Antonio Spurs
Kawhi Leonard is now eligible for the supermax contract from the San Antonio Spurs, which means he'll earn $219 million over the next five years if the Spurs offer it. The supermax contract may be the only bargaining chip that the Spurs have left to keep Leonard. However, there is absolutely no indication that this what he wants.
The Spurs have made it clear that unless they get their desired pool of picks and young players, they have no problem keeping Leonard, even if that means he will sit out another year.
1. Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are one of the newest teams to enter the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes, and they have risen to the top of the odds table to sign him. Not only do they possess the assets to trade for him, but they also have stars in DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry along with pivotal role players such as Jonas Valanciunas, Fred Van Vleet and Serge Ibaka to pair up with Leonard to potentially make the NBA Finals.
The Raptors will most likely offer DeRozan, Pascal Siakam and another youngster for Leonard and Rudy Gay (once he's eligible). With a team that were the top seed in the Eastern Conference this past season, this seems like the best match for all three parties involved in this trade if it happens.
