Blockbuster trade proposal would be ultimate risk vs. reward move for Warriors

Some would argue the Golden State Warriors have been highly risk-averse since their triumphant 2022 NBA championship.

The biggest proof of that lies in the fact they've held most of their young talent and future assets, hoping to develop from within rather than trade for a big-name player. They have dealt two young players -- James Wiseman and Jordan Poole -- but they weren't significant risks by any means.

In fact, you could argue they traded Poole because they didn't want to risk seeing whether he could live up to the massive contract they initially gave him. As for Wiseman, they arguably held him too long where his value diminished to the point of getting a role player (Gary Payton II) in return.

The Warriors did have heavy interest in Paul George and Lauri Markkanen during the offseason, but their reported trade offers suggests they still weren't willing to go all in for either All-Star forward.

Flipping Jonathan Kuminga for Kawhi Leonard would be the ultimate risk vs. reward trade for the Warriors

As we enter a new NBA season, eyes still remain on what Golden State could do on the trade market. That will only intensify if they make a slow start and the young players don't show significant improvement, potentially leaving the franchise with no choice but to make a risky move to try and prioritize the remainder of Stephen Curry's prime.

If they do go down that path, there would be no more riskier trade target than Kawhi Leonard. The L.A. Clippers star is again under an injury cloud entering the season, having played more than 60 games just once in the last seven years.

Yet despite those concerns, there would have to be some level of interest if the Clippers ever made Leonard available. When healthy Leonard would be a perfect co-star alongside Curry -- a highly efficient two-way force capable of playing on or off the ball within the Golden State offense.

But what would a trade look like? In a recent article identifying three trade targets for every team, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report evaluated Jonathan Kuminga as a player the Clippers could have their eye on.

"If the Clips are going to move Leonard, a pure hypothetical at this point, a prospect with some star potential has to be the centerpiece", Hughes wrote.

Leonard is a significant risk in himself, particularly given he's owed $149.5 million over the next three years. But giving up Kuminga -- a player that many still view as having All-Star potential -- would bring a whole new element of risk to the equation.

Then you have the matching salary pieces that would be required, starting with Andrew Wiggins and likely a couple more rotation players. It's the sort of trade that could win the Warriors a championship such is Leonard's stardom, yet it's also one that could set the franchise back years if the injury issues remain or even worsen, and Kuminga develops further into an All-Star talent in L.A.

It would be hard to see either team making this sort of trade right now, but perhaps the fortunes of both shift enough once the season starts to a point where a blockbuster trade actually becomes realistic.