NBA Rumors: 5 best landing spots for Kawhi Leonard

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1. Philadelphia 76ers

Leonard might want a move to the West Coast, but heading to Philadelphia is the best possible move for his career. His arrival in the City of Brotherly Love would immediately make the 76ers the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers have a huge advantage over other teams in the race to sign Leonard. They have the cap space to absorb a max salary without sending any money back to San Antonio. In theory, that means Brett Brown and company could secure Leonard with nothing but draft picks going in the other direction.

The Spurs might want more than that in a deal, but Philadelphia does have some surplus talent. Acquiring Leonard might make someone like Markelle Fultz, Dario Saric or Robert Covington expendable. Losing them would hurt the team’s depth, but that’s a price worth paying for the Sixers.

Next: Could the Lakers get LeBron and Kawhi?

Ironically, swinging a deal for Leonard this summer would be the perfect ending or Sam Hinkie’s rein in Philadelphia. He won’t be around to reap the benefits of his hard work, but Leonard could be enough to bring an NBA title to Philadelphia.

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