Warriors reconvene with rival in shock trade proposal for different All-Star forward

The Golden State Warriors and L.A. Clippers already have a history this offseason, having failed to come to terms on a Paul George trade that resulted in the 9x All-Star heading to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.

The Clippers reasoning was simple -- they didn't want to burden themselves with more money on the books in the way of bad contracts, and they most certainly didn't want to help their pacific rival's ambition to return to the playoffs in 2025.

Could the Golden State Warriors and L.A. Clippers reconvene on another trade that features a different All-Star forward?

Given the George outcome, it seems unlikely that the Warriors and Clippers would become trade partners so shortly after those negotiations. Yet that's just what Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report has proposed in a recent article looking at '5 NBA Offseason Trades That Can Still Happen'.

The proposed deal between Golden State and L.A. would see Kawhi Leonard head to the Bay in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, Moses Moody, a 2028 first-round pick (unprotected), a 2030 first-round pick (protected 1-3 and 21-30), and a 2029 first-round pick swap.

The George situation isn't the only stumbling block here, with it highly unlikely that the Clippers would want to move their franchise star just weeks/months before heading into a new arena. However, it is a deal that could become plausible mid-season if each team doesn't get off to the start they're after.

This is probably in the realm of fair value in such a scenario -- perhaps the Warriors are paying overs, but that's what they may simply have to do if the need for a second star becomes even more apparent, and to subsequently appease any growing concerns Stephen Curry may have.

There's no doubt Leonard can be that second star, and should theoretically fit better with Golden State than any other player currently on the market (not that Leonard is). The 2x Finals MVP was Second Team All-NBA last season, having averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting an incredible 52.5% from the floor and 41.7% from three-point range.

There's always the health risk with Leonard, which combined with a new three-year, $149.5 million contract makes this far from a home run trade. Three picks, Moody and a starter in Wiggins (plus Looney and Payton) is a significant package, but at least the Warriors get to keep their two prized young assets in Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, while retaining a third in Trayce Jackson-Davis.

It's not a trade that will come to fruition in the short-term (at least not without significant shock), yet it does reiterate that the Warriors should keep their powder dry in the hope that something like this becomes a legitimate option mid-season.