Philadelphia 76ers: Kawhi Leonard and Pau Gasol would complete the Process

Could the Philadelphia 76ers get both Kawhi Leonard and Pau Gasol from the San Antonio Spurs? 

According to former ESPN writer Chris Sheridan, who now writes about sports gambling for Get More Sports, the Philadelphia 76ers could potentially get there hands on both Kawhi Leonard and Pau Gasol in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs.

Sheridan writes, “What I am hearing is that a trade scenario that would send Gasol to the 76ers is very much in play as one of the various Kawhi Leonard deals being pondered by the San Antonio Spurs.”

Gasol may be the enticing piece that gets the Spurs their asking price of draft picks and players.  According to Sheridan, those players do not include last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Markelle Fultz, and the draft picks may only be have to be one of the Sixers’ three first round picks.

If Sheridan’s reporting is correct, and his reputation is impeccable, the asking price of the Spurs has come down from what was previously reported.

As much as the 76ers would welcome the addition of the seven-foot Gasol, who can play both power forward and center, has won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and is a former Rookie Of The Year, the Spurs would like to unload him. The Kawhi-less Spurs will be in rebuilding mode. Gasol turned 38 in July and has one year left on a three-year, $48 million contract.

There is no question that Gasol can still play, but is not the same player that appeared in six All-Star games. Last year, Gasol started at center for the Spurs and averaged a respectable 10.1 points and 8.0 rebounds a game.

For the Sixers, Gasol would replace Dario Saric, who undoubtedly would be included in the trade to the Spurs. He would join Ben Simmons at point guard, J.J. Redick at shooting guard, Kawhi Leonard at small forward and Joel Embid at center. That lineup would surpass the Boston Celtics’ as the best in the East.

So is that starting lineup close to taking the floor of the Wells Fargo Center this season? Sheridan thinks so, which brings us to the most exciting nugget from his report: “Everyone around the NBA expects Gregg Popovich to eventually take care of his former assistant, Brown, despite swiping Marco Belinelli away from him in the first hours of free agency.”

Technically, R.C. Buford is the general manager of the Spurs, but everyone knows legendary coach Popovich runs the show. Brett Brown is the coach and acting general manager of the 76ers.

There have been many Kawhi rumors that have turned out not to be true, but Sheridan has a pretty good track record. He reported that LeBron James was leaving Cleveland long before anyone.

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

If he’s right, the Sixers may have the big offseason move to finally complete “The Process.”