Insane Kawhi Leonard trade would actually solve all Spurs problems at once

Half of Spurs Nation will hate this idea before I get it out of the gate, and that's understandable, but before you close this tab, hear me out. Contrary to popular belief, there's a larger segment of San Antonio fans willing to welcome Klaw back than we realized. So, let's just explore the possibility that the Silver and Black can kill three birds with one stone with a De'Aaron Fox trade to the Clippers for Kawhi Leonard.

This is a mad scientist concoction of a proposal because of the history. Still, the Spurs could all but guarantee themselves a championship next season, clear room for Dylan Harper to take the reins, and give themselves much more cap flexibility afterward. At the end of the day, this franchise wants to win titles, and so does the fan base.

If San Antonio is willing to make one all-in swing before Victor Wembanyama's extension kicks in, this may be the one insane trade that actually makes sense.

Spurs' championship window may justify one last Kawhi gamble

SA was on the doorstep of a championship last season, and inexperience and fatigue aside, plenty of fans believed they could have gotten the job done had their veteran point guard played like a veteran. Those feelings are hard for some to overcome, but this front office doesn't operate on emotion, so let's lean into the basketball and team-building arguments.

Swipa's extension is kicking in, so the Spurs are on the hook for four years and $229 million at a position with a burgeoning star waiting in the wings. Moving Fox would open up that position for Dylan Harper to step in as the new starting point guard. Now he'll have more room to grow into the player he's meant to become, and he's not due for an extension for another few years.

"But what about Kawhi's contract, Jah? San Antonio will have to extend him, so the money that would have been spent on Fox's deal is just being shifted to someone else."

Well, I'm glad you asked.

What if they just didn't do that? The Spurs could go all-in for one season. A lineup of Harper, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Leonard, and Victor Wembanyama would be impossible to score on, but they can let him walk after they get another ring out of him. The organization would be freeing up $50 million in cap space on the heels of a title and right before Wemby's extension is set to kick in.

One season of Kawhi could unlock Spurs' long-term future

The next biggest concern is his health, but the depth of the team will allow San Antonio to manage his minutes, ensuring he's ready for the postseason. He has played in at least 65 games in two of his last three seasons. That's not nothing. Klaw just had one of the best years of his career. His defense and shotmaking ability would be a tremendous asset—even as a one-year rental.

After his departure, the hope is that Jayden Quaintance will be 100% healthy enough to step into the power forward spot in the starting unit, and the Spurs would just keep flowing—poised to keep dominating for years to come.

The trade could actually benefit everyone involved

Fox may not be happy, but at least he'd be playing in Los Angeles for Ty Lue. There are many worse coaches to deal with. Lue is actually fantastic at his job. The Clippers likely wouldn't be able to get a better player in return for Leonard, too, so if they were going to move him, this option would be great for them.

As for Kawhi, he could make his way back to LA to play for the Lakers or something. LeBron James would probably be gone at that point, and that's where he originally wanted to go anyway. King James arriving in purple and gold first derailed that plan, as he didn't want to play in Bron's shadow at that time.

It's a crazy plan. It probably has no chance of happening. Still, if it did, and everything worked out, the Spurs would look like geniuses. Move off of Fox to give Harper the keys while increasing the odds of a championship and adding financial flexibility for the future? With one move? It sounds insane, but that's exactly why it's worth talking about.

Editor's Note: Funny enough, after my last piece on why the Spurs shouldn't be interested based on their history and the fans' feelings toward Leonard, I received a message from a fan telling me I was wrong. I was told to look deeper into the fan reactions to the news, and when I did, I saw almost a 50/50 split on the idea of a reunion. So, I wrote this to represent those fans. We all just want to win. Go Spurs Go.

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