Even if the Timberwolves offered Andrew Wiggins and more to the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard, but it probably wouldn’t be enough to outbid other teams who inquire about the San Antonio All-Star.
A quad injury has limited Leonard to just nine games this season, and it appears he’s on a different planet than San Antonio, with reports suggesting team doctors have cleared him to play while his own training staff has not.
Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post writes that it “seems impossible to think this ends any other way than with Leonard being traded this summer.”
It’s a situation that could play out the same way Jimmy Butler’s 2017 summer played out, when he was traded on draft night from the Bulls to the Wolves.
Bontemps writes:
“At this point, it’s hard to see the Spurs feeling comfortable enough with Leonard to offer him $200 million. If they are not, the most likely outcome would be him being traded by draft night in June — just as Butler was a year ago.”
In April, the Dunking with Wolves blog proposed the idea of trading Andrew Wiggins, Tyus Jones and a 2018 first-round pick (currently 20th overall) to the Spurs for Leonard.
It’d be a dream scenario for the Wolves, who would run out a starting lineup of Jeff Teague, Butler, Leonard, Taj Gibson and Karl-Anthony Towns next season.
But it’s probably too good to be true.
Other teams have more to offer the Spurs, as noted by Bontemps.
- Clippers: 12th and 13th picks in the draft plus players
- Lakers: Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma
- Cavs: Possible top three pick in the draft (Brooklyn’s pick)
- 76ers: Markelle Fultz and two first-round picks this year
- Celtics: loaded with young stars who could be dealt
Jordan Schultz of Yahoo! Sports talked to Heat star Dwyane Wade last week, and Wade told him that he thinks Leonard winds up in Boston.
Kawhi Leonard on the move to the #Celtics?! That's what @DwyaneWade told @Schultz_Report pic.twitter.com/jSZQgFwPWW
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) April 11, 2018
The other potential issue is that no team is going to trade for Leonard unless they know they’ll keep him long term. Would Leonard be willing to sign a max deal like Wiggins did in Minnesota?
At this point, the idea of a Wiggins for Leonard deal seems far fetched.
