10. Los Angeles Clippers
We start with dark horse territory, since the Los Angeles Clippers have both the trade assets and cap space to make max player moves this offseason. That shouldnāt be surprising with Jerry West involved and owner Steve Ballmerās aggression, but the Clippers were one of the feel-good stories of the league this season, and you can guarantee players around the league took notice.
With the potential for two max slots in free agency, the Clippers are the most logical destination for Kawhi Leonard if he decides he wants to live in L.A. They could be a dark horse for a Kevin Durant or a Jimmy Butler, and they could even swoop in on the Anthony Davis sweepstakes if theyāre willing to part with draft picks and promising young players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Landry Shamet and Montrezl Harrell.
Listening to Kawhiās postgame interviews, making history for Toronto seemed very important to him. Makes you think heāll now want to go make history elsewhere. Hmmm, Clippers have never won...
ā Bill Plaschke (@BillPlaschke) June 14, 2019
When the Clippers pulled off an historic 31-point comeback against the Warriors in Game 2 of their first round series, they cemented themselves as the type of team players want to be a part of. From Doc Rivers to living in L.A. to established vets like Lou Williams, Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Beverley, this is a likable, competitive bunch on the rise. Now weāll see how they put that cap space to use, because if they land Kawhi, weāve just seen what a Leonard-led team can do in the postseason ā¦ no matter the opponent.