Where Kawhi Leonard will play next season is a mystery at this point. Leonard reportedly wants out of San Antonio, and the Spurs are listening to offers from teams, according to multiple reports.
According to the New York Times writer Marc Stein, one team that really wants to get their hands on Leonard is the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Philadelphia badly wants him,” Stein said about Leonard on the Dan Patrick Show today.
After the draft, 76ers head coach Brett Brown said the team was “star hunting.” Well, Leonard fits the bill in terms of a star.
According to SI.com, the 76ers have offered Dario Saric, Robert Covington as well as a future first-round pick. That first-round pick could be the 2021 Miami Heat unprotected first-round pick the Sixers obtained in their draft-night deal with the Phoenix Suns, according to the report.
In Saric, the Spurs get a young, tough, stretch four. The 24-year-old Croatian is a very good player with the potential to get better. Regarding Covington, he was a First Team All-Defense selection last season and is a solid 3-and-D player. Covington did struggle in the playoffs last season but is a decent player.
Furthermore, the 2021 first-round pick is unprotected, which means that if Miami is terrible in next couple of years, it could be a lottery pick.
It’s not a bad package and allows San Antonio to stay competitive now, and gives them an asset moving forward. For Philadelphia, the team gets the star they badly wanted and makes them serious championship contenders next season. Plus, it reunites Leonard with former Spurs assistant Brett Brown, who spent time with Leonard earlier in the two-time All-Star’s career.
As we know with the NBA, all these things could change, so sit back, and enjoy the ride!
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