Kawhi Leonard Trade Rumors: Clippers Have More To Offer Than Lakers

The Los Angeles Clippers could offer a better package to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard as compared to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Leonard looked set to pen a five-year $219 million supermax extension to his Spurs contract this summer, with just one year remaining on his current deal.

However, multiple reports claimed Friday that Leonard is looking to be traded away from Texas with his hometown of Los Angeles, California, being his preferred destination as both the Lakers and Clippers are of interest to him.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics, who tried to make a move for him before the February trade deadline, are another team who could probe the Spurs with a potential deal.

A move to the Lakers seems the ideal choice though, as they not only boast a promising young core of players but are also rumored to be pursuing max deals for LeBron James, who could exercise his player option deal and become a free agent this summer, as well as Oklahoma City Thunder's Paul George.

However, the Lakers would have to trade some of those youngsters in a potential deal for Leonard, which, while they're open to according to the LA Times, would depend on their confidence in the 26-year-old's health, who only featured in nine games during the 2017/2018 season.

In addition, the Los Angeles side have the cap space to bring in Leonard but in order for the franchise to add two max contracts as well as re-sign Julius Randle, they would have to clear even more cap space, the report adds.

The Clippers however, have more to offer as according to an LA Times source, they are "willing to create a package with forward Tobias Harris and the 12th or 13th pick in this year’s draft." The Lakers notably do not have a lottery pick this year.

It's a big trade for a player who experienced a turbulent 2018 and could enter free agency next year, but when top players like Leonard become available, all bets are off, especially as it's risky to wait another year when he's a free agent.

Leonard helped the Spurs to an NBA championship in 2014, being named the Finals MVP in the process, while he is also a two-time All-Star as well as a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

A quadriceps injury ruled him out for majority of this past season with his prolonged return and the way his recovery was handled reportedly causing tension between him, head coach Gregg Popovich, the front office as well as his own teammates.

Wherever Leonard does end up though, if he were to depart San Antonio, it could become key in creating a super team challenger to the Golden State Warriors, who swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals last week for their third championship in four years.

Leonard averaged 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the nine games he played for the Spurs last season.