2018 NBA trade value rankings, Part 3: The top 20
4. Kawhi Leonard
Save me your recency bias.
Yes, he’s hurt with an injury that’s kept him out a lot longer than expected. Yes, the stuff that’s come out about his being disconnected with the Spurs during his rehab is a bit disconcerting. And yes, it would be nice to see that he’s still the Kawhi of old before putting him before the presumptive MVP on this list.
All of it is duly noted. It’s still Kawhi Leonard.
He’s finished second and third in MVP voting the last two seasons, is still one of the five best defensive players in the sport even if he never returns to peak form, and is 26 years old.
Buy all the stock you want in the recent reports, but I say there is somewhere between a one and three percent chance he even takes a free agency meeting with another team 19 months from now. In the meantime, he’s still the best player for the best organization in sports. They can never, ever be taken lightly, and Kawhi makes that possible.
Putting all of that aside, which person would you rather hitch your franchise wagon to over the next six years, even with the injury stuff: James Harden or Leonard?
I thought so.