Kawhi Leonard trades we’d like to see the San Antonio Spurs make

The season is over for the San Antonio Spurs, and plenty of questions surround their All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard.

The Spurs can offer him a supermax contract this summer, but if San Antonio doesn’t feel comfortable committing $219 million to a player who appeared in only nine games this season, or Leonard indicates he won’t sign it, trade discussions will likely heat up.

Our NBA Insiders give four deals that work, either heading into the draft or in free agency.

Lakers get: Kawhi Leonard

Spurs get: Brandon Ingram

Kevin Pelton: From the Lakers’ perspective, I wouldn’t be willing to offer any more than Ingram, given the possibility of signing Leonard via free agency next summer. But there is value to getting Leonard a year early, when he still counts just $20.1 million against L.A.’s cap.

As a result, by stretching Luol Deng‘s contract, the Lakers would have enough flexibility to acquire Leonard, sign a max free agent (say, LeBron James), retain matching rights on restricted free agent Julius Randle and still have an amount similar to the non-taxpayer midlevel exception available to sign another free agent. Perhaps that would be enough to bring back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on another one-year deal before re-signing him to a long-term contract in the summer of 2019.

Given all that, I think the Lakers could part with Ingram, despite the promise he has shown at age 20.

As other teams would likely offer more players and picks, San Antonio’s making this trade would be contingent on the front office believing that Ingram is a far better prospect than anyone else available for Leonard. The Lakers’ cap space also enables the Spurs to avoid taking back any bad contracts if this trade is completed after the moratorium, meaning they shed nearly $15 million in 2018-19 payroll. That difference could be used as a massive trade exception to take on salary from teams in the luxury tax.

Alternatively, if Rudy Gay and Danny Green decline player options, San Antonio would be able to create around $30 million in cap space this summer. Or the Spurs could wait and maintain flexibility for the deeper 2019 free-agent class, looking to add a player to a young core built around Ingram and 21-year-old Dejounte Murray.

Plus, if anyone is going to maximize Ingram’s development, it’s the team that transformed Leonard from the 15th pick into an All-NBA first-teamer.

76ers get: Kawhi Leonard and Brandon Paul

Spurs get: Dario Saric, Markelle Fultz, Jerryd Bayless and the Lakers’ 2018 first-round pick

Bobby Marks: There are two questions that the 76ers’ front office has to ask about this type of deal:

1. Can they sign Leonard (or a similar player) as a free agent in 2019 using cap space without sacrificing assets?

2. Are they confident Leonard will commit long term?

Before the first question is answered, Philadelphia will need to rely on coach Brett Brown and his relationship with Leonard from his days as an assistant in San Antonio. Because Philadelphia is restricted in what it can offer Leonard in an extension before free agency (four years, $107 million; six months after he is acquired), both sides would be relying on a handshake agreement before the trade is completed. Essentially, the Sixers would be risking three assets because they trust Leonard.

If the risk is warranted, Philadelphia would still have $27 million in room in 2018 and a lineup featuring Leonard, Ben Simmons, Robert Covington and Joel Embiid, plus its own first-round pick. The 76ers can take the same approach and roll over room to 2019 with $20 million in space.

Remember, as the Lakers have learned, cap space is no guarantee of signing an All-NBA-level player. For San Antonio, trading Leonard would be the last resort if the relationship between the organization and player cannot be repaired.

This trade would accomplish three things for San Antonio: It would send Leonard to the Eastern Conference; the Spurs would remain competitive with three players who can help now; and the Spurs could have $35 million in 2019 to add players to surround LaMarcus Aldridge, Patty Mills, Murray, Fultz, Saric and two first-round picks in 2018 (the Lakers’ first and their own).

Celtics get: Kawhi Leonard

Spurs get: Kyrie Irving and Boston’s 2018 first-round pick (plus whatever other picks get the deal done)

Amin Elhassan: This is an aggressive play for Leonard, to be sure, but in a league increasingly favoring offenses that are predicated on preventing ball-stopping, while highly valuing the ability to switch everything defensively, it’s not hard to see how this is a no-brainer for Boston.

Leonard is the poster child for offensive efficiency, and with a lineup of 6-foot-8-plus athletes across the board, Boston would boast a deep enough, well-coached, flexible roster that could legitimately contend with the Golden State Warriors.

Pending the physical, the Celtics would be best served by aggressively pursuing Leonard, going so far as to entertain adding additional picks (up to and including the Lakers/Kings pick owed from the Jayson Tatum deal last June). Re-signing Marcus Smart would become a priority, and the return of Gordon Hayward would provide some of the playmaking lost by Irving’s departure.

Heat get: Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills

Spurs get: Goran Dragic, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo