With LeBron in L.A., Kawhi should be the Sixers’ top priority

By Christopher Kline | Jul 2, 2018

PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 8 : Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on February 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

With LeBron James heading west, the Philadelphia 76ers need to take a risk and trade for the Spurs’ disgruntled star.

Yesterday was a rough one for Philadelphia 76ers fans. After news that LeBron James‘ representatives were meeting with the Sixers, the King decided to take his talents to the west coast — joining the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year, $154 million contract.

This decision was, most likely, based on non-basketball factors. He’s a business man who will benefit from the big market and media ties that come with living in L.A. He also has a son entering high school, while L.A. has notoriously strong basketball programs.

And that’s fine. This isn’t necessarily LeBron “giving up” on beating the Warriors. He’s just entering the 16th season of his long, and successful, NBA career. Rather than riding it out in Cleveland, he decided to put his family in a better spot while taking a more patient approach to competing.

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Regardless of how you feel about that decision, though, the Sixers must now move on from James. They have already lost Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova in free agency, but could still emerge as winners this offseason. Their path toward doing so is simple: trade for Kawhi Leonard.

There are obviously limitations on what the Sixers should be willing to give up for Kawhi. He wants to be a Laker, which makes trading for him inherently risky. His contract has one year left, allowing him to bolt next summer if he chooses.

But the Sixers should have a decent shot at re-signing him. Brett Brown and Monty Williams know Leonard from their Spurs days, while Philly isn’t exactly a small market. Leonard’s uncle, who has been a vocal part of his camp, is also from New Jersey.

If the Sixers trade for Leonard, they become favorites in the Eastern Conference. At his best, when healthy, Leonard is a top-five player in the NBA. He’d also be joining two All-Star caliber players in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

Assuming the Sixers handle the medical situation correctly, Leonard gives them a rare opportunity to add an elite talent while still maintaining their core. Now that the Lakers have locked up LeBron, the leverage San Antonio once had in trade discussions is dissipating.

If the Lakers cool down on their proposed offers, the Sixers can probably present the best package without breaking the proverbial bank. Markelle Fultz, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are off the table. Dario Saric, Robert Covington and one or two first-round picks seems like (at least the core pieces of) a very legitimate offer.

The East is wide open sans LeBron, meaning the Sixers will compete for the foreseeable future — with or without Leonard. If Kawhi can join that situation, be a part of Brett Brown’s culture, and play in a bigger market, he would be hard-pressed to leave in 2019.

There is a risk-reward factor with any trade, especially in Leonard’s case. He has a spotty injury history and might leave next summer. Overpaying is an unavoidable concern, but relative to his talent, it’s difficult to see the Sixers spending too much.

Next: LeBron's decision opens Sixers' championship window

Leonard is on the same level as James Harden, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. You can’t pass up the opportunity to, within reason, obtain a player of that status. If he’s able to get healthy and return to form, Leonard is the kind of megastar that Brett Brown has wanted all summer.