The Philadelphia 76ers seem to be putting an emphasis on making some bold changes this offseason. After cutting ties with Daryl Morey, the team has taken that necessary first step to secure a shift in dynamics. And to that effect, the front office could actually consider reviving their trade interest in Kawhi Leonard, whom they reportedly set their sights on before the trade deadline.
According to recent rumblings, league executives are closely monitoring Leonard's situation with the Clippers this offseason. The consensus belief is that the superstar will eventually be made available for taking, which opens a window for the 76ers to resume their ambitious plan from this season and make a play for the two-time Finals Most Valuable Player.
LA nearly made the playoffs this season despite starting their campaign with a measly 6-21 win-loss card. The bulk of the credit belongs to Leonard, who put on a herculean performance individually to will his team toward a winning record and a shot to sneak into the postseason. However, they still ultimately came up short –– that has to carry significant weight in the way they will go about things.
The 76ers could revive their trade interest in Kawhi Leonard this summer
Shortly after the deadline, there were reports that came out saying that Daryl Morey and his crew made the decision to trade Jared McCain in order to obtain more assets to dangle away in a major swap. It was around that time when their rumored interest in Leonard popped up, so there was definitely some nexus between those two.
The Clippers are most likely going to end up pursuing a full-on youth movement, although it may not necessarily mean that they will try to bottom out intentionally. They already traded James Harden for Darius Garland, and Ivica Zubac for Bennedict Mathurin last season. It is only a matter of time until they adopt the same posture with Leonard.
LA is not going to be competing with teams like Oklahoma City and San Antonio in any way moving forward, so the wise thing is to start brewing a rebuild. The 76ers should capitalize on that and attempt to engage the Clippers brass about a trade for Leonard. That will undoubtedly be an expensive escapade, but Philly has the necessary draft capital (and the salaries) to offer a sensible package.
As long as the price is not otherworldly, the 76ers will be hard-pressed to find someone better than Kawhi Leonard on the trade front. Hence, assuming they are still ambitious enough, they should do whatever it takes to get their hands on the superstar.
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