The Philadelphia 76ers are unlikely to make a big move this offseason, not because they do not want to, but simply because they are no tenable pathways for them to make a huge splash anyway. Still, that has not prevented the front office from going the ambitious route, as they were rumored to have pursued Kawhi Leonard before the trade deadline.
Unfortunately, that escapade might already be a moot one for the 76ers. As reported by NBA insider Marc Stein in his recent newsletter, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has always been opposed to the idea of trading their franchise player away, and given the sheer strength of the gravitas he has over his team, that could ultimately end up being the main reason why Leonard stays in LA.
If that happens, Daryl Morey will already see his fantasy crumble. Leonard, for all we know, is still among the best players in the NBA with the way he nearly singlehandedly carried the Clippers into the playoffs despite starting the season with a putrid 6-21 record. There is no doubt that he is still plenty capable of flipping a franchise's fortunes around.
The 76ers face a huge roadblock in their hypothetical pursuit of Kawhi Leonard
There are not a lot of expectations for the 76ers in the playoffs with respect to making a deep run, much less to make the Finals and win the title. That, however, does not eradicate the win-now mandate the franchise is operating under from top to bottom. In their minds, the team's brass is probably still of the belief that the roster is good enough to shock the world this year.
Be that as it may, it would be highly difficult for the 76ers, a team that had to go through the play-in to clinch a playoff spot, to overcome homecourt disadvantage and injuries in all rounds and make it to June. Alas, if they get booted out early and in ugly fashion, the front office will surely entertain the thought of a major shake-up, such as one involving Kawhi Leonard.
Philly does have the salaries to make the money work and the draft capital or infusion of youth necessary to get on the transaction table with LA, but at this point, it would be disingenuous to think that the 76ers have a reliable shot at Leonard.
It was certainly an interesting think piece on the part of the 76ers brain trust, but a player like Kawhi Leonard simply is not someone whom you can definitively plan around getting. There are a lot of factors at play just to get close to having a real shot, and from the looks of it, that front is beginning to look a tad too unrealistic.
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