Shortly after their rather eventful trade deadline slate, it was revealed that the Philadelphia 76ers attempted to venture out on an ambitious escapade. At the time, reports popped up that the front office, led by Daryl Morey back then, wanted to trade for Kawhi Leonard, who was having a sensational campaign for the LA Clippers.
Obviously, that did not pan out. Needless to say, the 76ers never really stood a chance with that Hail Mary. The Clippers were still determined to sneak into the playoffs at that juncture. However, with LA looking like they are starting to get the itch to pivot to a youth movement, it might be high time for them to move on from Leonard. Now, how can Philly even get on the table with the Clippers on a tenable offer? Well, everything starts with Paul George.
No, this is in no way a declaration that a Leonard-George swap would be an appealing proposition. Be that as it may, it is the only realistic pathway for the 76ers to mount an actual, workable offer for the two-time Finals MVP. Such is the irony of life, right? The only real way for Philly to be a real player for Kawhi is to formulate a haul with PG, The Klaw's former sidekick, at the forefront of things.
The 76ers could trade for Kawhi Leonard –– and everything starts with Paul George
Of course, the Clippers will want no part of the nine-time All-Star if they end up charting the market for Leonard. However, George is the perfect salary matcher for Leonard, although the way toward a real offer is for the 76ers to sweeten the pot as much as they possibly can.
Outside of VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George, the 76ers can give whatever the Clippers want. LA's brain trust will naturally prefer draft capital to rev up talks, and Philly certainly has a considerable amount of draft picks they can trade. Mind you, they own the Clippers' own picks in 2028 and 2029.
Leonard, who was named to the All-NBA Second Team, turned in arguably his most superb season in his career. With little help around him, he nearly dragged the Clippers into the playoffs despite starting their campaign with a ghastly 6-21 win-loss card. It is clear that he is still one of the best players in the league, a tremendous ceiling-raiser who can definitely get the 76ers over the hump.
The win-now edict spreadeagled across the organization remains strong for the 76ers. Trading for Kawhi Leonard will drastically improve their chances, and as long as the demanded return is reasonable, they should probably bite.
