Philadelphia 76ers already seem to be at disadvantage in Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes
By Dan Parzych
When hearing some of the rumors, it may be a little too difficult for the Philadelphia 76ers to acquire Kawhi Leonard in a trade if interested.
From now until the start of free agency, there’s going to be plenty of rumors surrounding which potential big-name players could end up joining the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2018-19 season, including LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As great as it would be to land one of the greatest players to ever step foot on the basketball court, the Sixers also know they have to be realistic about the long-shot possibility, and come up with potential alternative options, which is where Kawhi Leonard could come into play.
After seeing how things played out between Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs last season, all signs point to the forward ending up on a new team next season since a fresh start seems like the best option for both parties.
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Between having the money to spend along with the great relationship he has with Brett Brown, a team like Philadelphia would seem like a great fit for Leonard, although the difficult factor could be what the team would have to give up in a potential trade. With that being said, if the Spurs were to make Leonard available for team through a trade, it looks like the Sixers would have to face some tough competition for the star forward as well, meaning the next month or so could get real interesting really fast.
Sources: So far, Leonard has expressed nothing directly to Spurs about future. Lakers and Clippers interest Leonard -- and both teams would move quickly to assemble packages to acquire Leonard. Spurs won't rush. Leonard and his camp had shown interest in $219M super max deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2018
If Kawhi Leonard does become available in trade talks, the Boston Celtics will be interested in probing the Spurs about a deal, league sources tell ESPN. Boston inquired about a trade prior to the February deadline, sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2018
Indiana had little interest in Paul George trade w/ Lakers -- and that'll be case for Spurs too. Boston gives Spurs best building blocks of assets -- one of young forwards (likely Jaylen Brown), its own 18 pick/19 protected Kings pick, etc. Lonzo to Spurs? Don't hold your breath.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2018
Right now, Philadelphia is already listed as one of the early favorites to make a serious run in the Eastern Conference after winning 52 games this past season while making it to the semifinals of the playoffs before falling to the Boston Celtics.
But as impressive as all of this was to see, that series against the Celtics made it clear how desperate the Sixers are to add another star to play alongside Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid since that’s going to give them a better chance of competing against teams like the Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
Keeping up with Boston after they were on the verge of going to the NBA Finals this past season already gave Philadelphia a challenge from a competitive standpoint, and if the team ends up getting in on the Leonard sweepstakes, the challenge will hit a whole new level.
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Obviously, all of this is simply talk at the moment since the Sixers interest in Leonard is only a rumor at this point, but this Friday news from Adrian Wojnarowski sure makes the situation a lot more interesting. As bad as it sounds, seeing some of these teams already linked to Leonard, and considering what they would be willing to give up could put Philadelphia at a major disadvantage.