LeBron James: Kawhi Leonard trade could create NBA’s newest superteam – in Philadelphia
THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS are tantalisingly close to establishing the newest contender in an age of NBA superteams, poised to make a play for both LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard this summer.
James, 33, will become a free agent this summer if, as expected, he opts out of the final year of his Cavs contract before tomorrow’s midnight deadline.
Leonard, meanwhile, is desperate to leave the San Antonio Spurs after an injury-hit season that has reportedly inflicted irreversible damage to his relationship with the team.
The 26-year-old, a former Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, has a year left on his current deal, meaning Spurs executives are likely to demand a hefty package of assets to trade their star man.
Both Leonard and James are established superstars, franchise players ready to become the cornerstone of any team in the league.
And both, crucially, could be available to a team like the Sixers, as NBA expert Kevin O'Connor explained.
“It’s basically just a salary cap exercise. Here is what the Sixers would have to do to get LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard,” O’Connor told The Ringer NBA Show.
“The conclusion is this: the price would be super, super steep. Super, super steep.
“I saw someone tweeted last night how much of an overpay the deal proposed in there would be for Kawhi Leonard – which was, by the way, [Markelle] Fultz, [Dario] Saric, [Robert] Covington, their rookie Zaire Smith and their Miami pick from 2021 to get Kawhi.
“It’s like ‘that deal is stupid for Kawhi’ – yeah, the point is, that what is what they would give up in order to clear the salary cap space to also sign LeBron James. That is what you would have to do to make that happen.
“It is a steep price to pay, man. But I do think it is intriguing nonetheless because it is actually possible. It is fascinating that they could actually pull it off if they wanted to.
“I don’t think the Spurs are going to get that much for Kawhi – but maybe they would if that’s what Philadelphia wanted to do.”