18 Apr 2018 14:38:30
Brian Windhorst on ESPN (very reliable when it comes to Lebron) said that Kawhi's and Lebron's futures are linked and that Lebron will reach out to Kawhi after playoffs to discuss potential landing destinations. Windhorst mentioned Philly, Lakers and Clippers as potential destinations. Kawhi will be a free agent in 2019 and can demand which team the Spurs trade him to and Lebron can also force a sign and trade like Chris Paul did last summer.

Let's look at the Clippers case. Jerry West is probably the best in the business and has contributed in building superteams including this current Warriors team. Steve Ballmer is also willing to pay "whatever it takes" to get his team a championship. Clippers could package two lottery picks and Tobias Harris (very good player) for Kawhi which he would push the Spurs to accept or lose him for nothing.
Clippers could then sign Lebron and Paul George

Trades:
- Tobias Harris, 2018 Clippers 1st, 2018 Detroit 1st for Kawhi Leonard

Sign:
- Lebron James - 3yrs/100M (S/T with Gallinari off to Cleveland)
- Paul George - 3yrs/100M
- Deandre Jordan opts in
- Fill out the bench with vets and young players for minimum contracts

Total Payroll would be around $140M

Team:
PG - Beverley, Rivers, Evans
SG - George, Williams, Thornwell
SF - Kawhi, Dekker,
PF - Lebron, Harrell,
C - Jordan,


1.) 18 Apr 2018
18 Apr 2018 15:00:59
Clippers don't have cap space for that. Gallinari takes up 20m.


2.) 18 Apr 2018
18 Apr 2018 15:22:09
I like this idea, but the Clippers need to trade Gallinari to make this work.


3.) 18 Apr 2018
18 Apr 2018 16:22:10
Why would the Cavs take on Gallinari's contract? He's overpayed, always hurt, about to be thirty, it would keep the Cavs deep in the luxury tax, and the Cavs will be tanking if Lebron leaves. I can't see them taking on major salary without getting some significant assets back.

Also, Kawhi doesn't have much control over where he's traded. He can't just pick one team and say trade me there. He's under contract and doesn't have a no trade clause.

The Clippers would be the worst of the 3 options you mentioned. The Lakers and Philly both have significant cap space and young talent. The Clippers are capped out and just to get Lebron and Kawhi, they would probably have to trade every asset they have and there's no way they would be able to bring in George, Lebron, and Leonard.


4.) 18 Apr 2018
18 Apr 2018 16:36:43
That would be after the 2019 season. And, he CAN'T, demand to be traded to someplace he wants o be traded to. That is ridiculous. The Spurs will trade him to whomever has the best offer. If the best offer is from the team he wants to go to, fine. But it will be on the Spurs terms not his.


5.) 18 Apr 2018
18 Apr 2018 16:30:16
One huge problem with your logic: Leonard can’t demand the spurs trade him to a specific team. If he wants out, they have absolutely no loyalty to him or what he wants. Look at Paul George as precedent of that. George wanted to go to the Lakers, but Indy didn’t care. And there would absolutely be teams that would take him on a rental and risk him bolting.


6.) 18 Apr 2018
18 Apr 2018 21:11:42
Not to mention that LBJ is a FA this off season and he will be signing a long term contract somewhere.