As previously reported, the Philadelphia 76ers ventured into an ambitious escapade right before the deadline, attempting to make a trade for Kawhi Leonard. Obviously, that plan did not even come close to pan out, but it only proves that the front office does not plan on stopping when it comes to big name-hunting. In fact, this halted pursuit could resume in the offseason.
The 76ers will not be the lone bidder for Leonard, though. Despite his age and injury concerns, he remains an elite player who can singlehandedly lead a team to the playoffs. That is probably why the Warriors, according to rumors, also tried to strike a deal with the Clippers to snag him before the deadline last February.
Golden State currently has a middling footing in the West, and without any drastic moves, that will remain to be the case. That is precisely why going after Leonard is a feasible plan for them, and given their market attractiveness, they could be a formidable foe for the 76ers if they do resume their pursuit of the two-time Finals MVP.
The 76ers will face a dangerous threat if they trade for Kawhi Leonard once again
The Clippers are facing impending irrelevance in the Western Conference — that is inarguable at this point even if they make the playoffs. As such, it is only right for them to seriously start thinking about life without Leonard and a shift toward rebuilding.
In all honesty, both the 76ers and the Warriors do not have the kind of young talent that can quickly compel the Clippers into a deal (disclaimer: Philly will not be trading VJ Edgecombe under any occasion). If there is a two-man race between both teams, it will certainly become a matchup of which franchise can shell out more atractive draft capital.
Both teams have ample — if not nearly full — control over their draft picks moving forward, but the 76ers are probably more enticing in that they can give the Clippers their own picks back. That will be a huge thing for LA, especially since they will be incentivized if they bottom out unless the league does away with the current lottery setup.
The 76ers pursuing Leonard will be heavily dependent on what happens this season, but if the push comes to shove and they hoist up a market Hail Mary for him, they can be sure that they will have to oversweeten the pot. After all, there will be other lurkers for the future Hall-of-Famer.