NBA trade proposal sends Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard to Pistons

One of the best things about the NBA is fake trades. I know this because our numbers on this very website back it up. That’s especially the case when it involves a star like Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.

And one hypothetical trade proposal sends Leonard to the Detroit Pistons. The idea was floated by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey and it looks like this:

Pistons receive: Leonard.
Clippers receive: Duncan Robinson, Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2031 first-round pick swap.

Could it happen? Sure. Just obviously not right now. The NBA trade deadline has already passed, meaning any deal would have to wait until the offseason.

Still, it is the type of swing Detroit might consider, depending on how the rest of this season plays out.

Pair Leonard with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren and suddenly the Pistons look a lot more dangerous. And yes, Ausar Thompson would still be around.

Bailey made the case pretty simply.

“The biggest reason this would make sense for Detroit is the simple fact that Kawhi is still one of the five to 10 best players in the league,” he wrote.

Fair enough.

Leonard, who turns 35 in June, is still producing at an elite level. He is averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.

But the Clippers may be headed in a different direction. They dealt James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline and appear to be resetting.

So the question becomes simple. If Los Angeles is rebuilding, does Leonard still fit?

And if he does not, someone will be calling. Perhaps Detroit included.