Los Angeles Lakers: Pondering potential Kawhi Leonard trade packages

Trade No. 1: The likely (and largest) cost

The painful truth of the matter is it’s not easy trading for a top-three NBA talent.

Despite the train wreck that the 2017-18 season was for Leonard, there is simply no denying he’s about as elite as they come. If he gets out of San Antonio and forces his return to Los Angeles, I can imagine he’d be more than happy to get back to his dominant ways.

The Spurs know that, and they aren’t going to let the Lakers get Kawhi at a discount. So they take them for everything they’re worth. Not only do they demand Ingram and Kuzma, but they also insist on draft compensation to put a pretty bow on the deal.

It’s a steep price to pay. It takes away two of the Lakers’ exciting young prospects, but replaces one of them with an MVP candidate coming off an injury-riddled season. It also costs them the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2018 first round pick (No. 25 overall), which could be a valuable rebuilding tool.

Regardless, it’s still a win for the Lakers. They’ve now got their superstar to rally around, with the cap space and intrigue to entice another. The cherry on top? There’s enough cap space to retain Julius Randle, a restricted free agent this offseason.

Next: Early predictions for Lakers' 2018-19 starting five

Losing both Ingram and Kuzma would be a tough pill to swallow. Unfortunately, it’s likely what’s needed to convince the Spurs to make a deal instead of sending Leonard elsewhere.