Kawhi Leonard trade rumors: 7 potential destinations for Spurs star
5. New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are one of the few NBA markets that could rival Los Angeles, so even though they’re further away from contending than some of the teams that will be interested in Kawhi, they might be able to sell him on life in the Big Apple and playing with Kristaps Porzingis if they managed to trade for him first.
According to ESPN‘s Ian Begley, people in Leonard’s inner circle want him to play in New York, which could have some influence on the 26-year-old superstar.
There are more than a few teams who can offer a better package to San Antonio for Kawhi than the Knicks can (assuming they don’t include Porzingis), but people close to Leonard have expressed a desire for Leonard to play in New York, per sources. https://t.co/CTs0ISkKXv
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 15, 2018
If the Knicks entered the fray, Porzingis would be off limits. That hinders New York’s ability to put together one of the more competitive offers San Antonio will see, but if Pop refuses to deal his star to a Western power and the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers refrain from coughing up assets, maybe they’d have enough.
The best offer the Knicks could put together probably looks something like combo guard Frank Ntilikina, wing Tim Hardaway Jr. and the team’s 2018 first round draft pick:
This isn’t a sexy deal, but it’s sneakily good. Ntilkina has a long way to go on the offensive end, but teams would have a brutal time trying to score on a Dejounte Murray-Ntilikina backcourt. The young Knicks rookie showed flashes of being able to spread the floor and hit big shots with more confidence once his minutes finally increased.
THJ is on a less than stellar contract, with at least two years and $35.5 million remaining (plus another year and $19 million if he opts in for 2020-21). However, he’s not a bad player in spite of his bloated salary. Under Popovich, he might not be the inefficient gunner he was last year.
Finally, the No. 9 pick could secure someone like Mikal Bridges, Miles Bridges or Wendell Carter Jr. — smart, fundamentally sound players who would help form the cornerstones of the next Spurs contender.
Meanwhile, the Knicks get a Kawhi-Kristaps star tandem to build around. However, both are coming off injury, which would make this a risky proposition. The Spurs are likely to get better offers, and there’s no guarantee Leonard would re-sign given his desire to play in L.A.