Kawhi Leonard remains a name to monitor in regard to the Golden State Warriors, particularly in the lead up to next week's NBA draft where the franchise holds the 11th overall pick.
Most Leonard-Warriors trade proposals understandably include the valuable 11th pick, but removing that stipulation and instead giving up future draft capital should instantly make a deal far more appealing to Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office.
Warriors keeping 11th pick makes Kawhi Leonard trade more appealing
Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports proposed a deal that would see Golden State land Leonard and Derrick Jones Jr. for Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski and the 11th pick.
“It is a no-brainer for the Warriors to try to flip that Jimmy Butler contract," O'Connor said. "It's an upgrade for your team in the short term. It's an upgrade period considering the Jimmy Butler is an inferior player to Kawhi Leonard.”
The idea of trading Butler and assets for Leonard is a prominent one, and one that the Warriors should be considering despite the fact it would be a brutal decision to move on from the injured star who made such an impact prior to his torn ACL.
Trading for Leonard would be a signal that Golden State are going for it at least one more time, and the ironic aspect is they could get a player in the lottery who can contribute more next season than the alternative of signing another veteran in free agency.
In the absolute ideal world, they'd keep the 11th pick and trade a future first-round pick, and perhaps a second protected one, to acquire the 2x Finals MVP. Not only that, but with or without Leonard the thought of trading down from 11 to acquire two picks in the mid teens is something the Warriors should be considering.
Clippers may refuse to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Warriors
The final deal may simply have to include the 11th pick, but either way Golden State do have the assets to combine with Butler to acquire Leonard, having shown interest in the 7x All-Star prior to February's mid-season deadline.
The bigger problem may be whether the Clippers are willing to deal Leonard to the Warriors in the first place, such is the nature of the rivalry between the two teams and owner Steve Ballmer's stance to this point.
If that stance changes and they're truly open to trade conversations, keeping the 11th pick in the trade would be an enticing outcome that could change the short and long-term fortunes of the Warriors.
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