Los Angeles Lakers: Should the team trade for Kawhi Leonard

The most recent rumor is that the San Antonio Spurs may try to trade Kawhi Leonard, and the Los Angeles Lakers have been mentioned as a likely destination. Should the Lakers pursue a trade for Leonard?

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to snag multiple superstars this offseason. Many believed they would go after Paul George, LeBron James or DeMarcus Cousins. Now, another player, Kawhi Leonard, has entered the mix.

Leonard, when healthy, is likely the best 2-way player and one of the top overall stars in the NBA. Players of his caliber are rarely traded. Why would the Spurs even consider making him available?

San Antonio obtained Leonard in a draft-day deal in 2011 for George Hill. After two years at San Diego State, Kawhi was primarily used as a defensive specialist and averaged only 7.9 PPG as a rookie.

With an off-the-chart work ethic, he dramatically improved his offense, increasing his scoring average in each of his first six years in the league. He helped the Spurs get to the Finals in 2013, and was the Finals MVP when they won the title the following year.

In the 2015-16 season, Kawhi essentially took over leadership of the team. He averaged 21.2 points that year, and then 25.5 last year when he rose to superstar status.

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He is not, however, your typical superstar. Rather than basking in the limelight, he shuns publicity, preferring not to be the center of media or public attention. In other words, in that respect, he is the polar opposite of LeBron James, who thrives on being in the spotlight 100 percent of the time.

This season, Leonard played only nine games before stepping out due to a quadriceps injury originally suffered during last year’s playoffs. Nobody, not even Kawhi, thought that he’d miss the remainder of the season.

A rift apparently developed between him and the organization regarding his rehab. Leonard preferred to use his own rehab team rather than one provided by the Spurs. This led, at the very least, to a lack of communication between the parties regarding his progress.

If current rumors are to be believed, the Spurs are tired of the Leonard injury drama and Kawhi is annoyed at what he perceives as a lack of club support. As a result, San Antonio is now mulling whether to trade its superstar.

The Lakers have been frequently mentioned as a possible destination for Leonard. There are many angles for the Lakers to consider before pulling the trigger, but these are the most important:

Will Leonard be completely healed for the 2018-19 season, and be able to assume his MVP-like performance on the court? No team wants to trade for ‘damaged goods’, as Cleveland did last year when it traded Kyrie Irving for a package headlined by injured star Isaiah Thomas (who is now, of course, a free agent after finishing the season with the Lakers).
Kawhi, who will make a tad over $20 million in the upcoming season, will be a free agent a year from now (although he does have a one-year player option). The Lakers, or any other team, would undoubtedly want to secure a commitment from him for a long-term extension prior to trading away key players. In other words, this should not be a one-year rental.
Assuming both those conditions are met, just what should the Lakers be willing to trade to acquire Leonard? This is a question that will be subject to countless debate among fans and in the media.

Most fans would likely be willing to part with ONE of the team’s young core of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Julius Randle (assuming he is re-signed) plus a draft pick or two to get Leonard. It’s even been suggested that the Spurs might take back Luol Deng, however unlikely that sounds.

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But what if that is not enough to satisfy the Spurs? What if they insist on receiving TWO of that core? Bill Plaschke of the LA Times wrote that it would perfectly OK to deal away both Ingram AND Kuzma because that would also guarantee that Paul George would then sign with the team as a free agent… and probably also James.

Really? Isn’t that a rather large leap of faith? Plaschke is essentially having a “Field of Dreams” vision, saying it’s alright to overpay for Leonard now because “if you build it, they will come”. Maybe George will, but maybe he won’t. Magic Johnson is a self-described risk taker, but is this one he should take?

There’s no question that Leonard, if healthy, is a better player than any of the Lakers young core is now, or probably ever will be. However, those young players are of course still developing, and no one knows with certainty just how good any will eventually become.

Let’s compare Leonard and Ingram. In his second season, at age 21, Kawhi averaged 12 points, six rebounds and 1.6 assists a game. In Ingram’s just-completed year two, the 20-year-old’s numbers were 16, five and four. Ingram is also probably a better passer now than Leonard is. However, how high a ceiling Ingram has is unknown. BI claims he wants to be great, and is known to have a strong work ethic, but we can only guess how good he will actually be at age 26.

One additional factor to consider is the chemistry that the core has already developed with each other. Coach Luke Walton recently cited the advantage of ‘continuity’ within a young team.

With all this in mind, what is the answer to the original question? If Leonard is healthy, and if he agrees to extend his contract, the Lakers should certainly explore a trade for him. Opinions about who they should give up in exchange will run the gamut.

The thought here is that if the Spurs demand more than one of the Lakers young core, then Magic should pass on a trade and instead show patience and trust that the team will continue to mature together into a contender.

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What do you think? Do you agree with that conclusion, or do you think Bill Plaschke has the right idea, that the Lakers should go all in no matter the cost?

‘All statistics courtesy of http://www.basketball-reference.com’