3 risky Kawhi Leonard trades that actually make sense if Clippers blow it up

The Los Angeles Clippers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. After unexpectedly bowing out of Team USA's Olympics run this summer, Kawhi Leonard is now out indefinitely with swelling in his knee. This has been a persistent issue for years now. We can't really know how much Leonard will play this season, or how good he'll look when (if) he does see the court.

It puts the Clippers in a compromised position. James Harden is better than he gets credit for, but he's not built to operate as the unchecked No. 1 option for a "contender" at this stage of his career. He's much better suited to a setup role, leaning into his point guard tendencies and being selective as a scorer. The Clippers will ask a lot of the former MVP this season and it's unclear if Harden can handle the responsibility.

Norman Powell and Terance Mann are both quality role players with scoring chops, but LA's depth falls off dramatically after their aging, half-injured star duo. Leonard's timeline is unclear at this point. He could be back in a couple of weeks, or he could spend months on the pine. Either way, it does not bode well for the Clippers' success in a loaded Western Conference. The path to a postseason berth is rife with challenges and LA is going to be battling adversity from the jump.

At a certain point, the Clippers need to seriously consider a teardown. That would imply cleaning house — even trading Kawhi Leonard.

Only a few teams are bold enough to acquire Kawhi in his current state, but we are talking about a two-time Finals MVP who can single-handedly change the trajectory of a team when he's healthy. Here are a few logical landing spots.

Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like The Whiteboard, share it with an enemy.

3. New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are loaded with big, tradable contracts (Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum) and draft picks galore. It's hard to gauge how much value the Clippers can expect for Leonard at this point, but New Orleans has the trade ammo to cross whatever the necessary threshold is. As for the fit, well, it's time for the Pelicans to try something new.

It's clear the core, as currently constructed, won't lead the Pelicans where they want to go. New Orleans has been desperately trying to trade Brandon Ingram all summer, but there aren't any takers. After letting Jonas Valanciunas walk, the front office basically ignored the center position. Herb Jones is expected to nominally start at the five in a small-ball Pels lineup. That is not going to work.

New Orleans' defense will take a step back this season, even if Dejounte Murray is suddenly back in peak form on that end. We haven't even discussed how poor the offensive fit is with Murray. He's a ball-dominant point guard who is going to clash with Zion and Ingram, both of whom need on-ball reps to reach their impact ceilings.

Kawhi helps give the Pelicans a sense of direction. He's still an excellent wing defender when healthy, not to mention a productive 3-point marksman with an adaptable offensive skill set. Leonard has made his money picking apart defenses in isolation, but he'll need to embrace a less demanding role eventually. Attacking off the catch as Zion runs point feels like a productive setup, both short and long-term.

New Orleans would need look elsewhere for big man depth and perhaps more shooting, but acquiring Leonard makes the Pelicans better on paper. The health concerns between Leonard and Williamson are enough to give NOLA fans a migraine, but what's life without a little risk? The Pelicans are geared up for a big move. Now it's time to make it.

2. Denver Nuggets

This trade would presumably involve the Denver Nuggets' 2031 first-round pick going back to LA, which is about all the Nuggets can afford. Denver is far more restricted in what it can offer than New Orleans, but the motivation is there. Nikola Jokic has a finite title window and the front office has operated with an egregious lack of urgency in recent summers.

After letting Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency, the Nuggets' second unit is severely depleted. Depth is a real concern for this team. The Nuggets are banking on a few big contracts and their spate of young talent to carry Jokic across the finish line. Denver will always be in the championship mix with Jokic on the roster, but it's hard to feel great about the Nuggets' current direction.

Why not throw caution to the wind and truly embrace the star-power approach? If the Clippers won't pay their high-level role players, they might as well get a proper second superstar to help Jokic shoulder the load. Kawhi's health is an enigma at this point, but Jokic is at least good enough to keep Denver afloat when Leonard misses time. That's a perk of teaming up with the best player in the world.

A hypothetical starting five of Jokic, Leonard, Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, and Julian Strawther would kick butt. Denver's bench immediately regresses to 'worst in the NBA' quality, but man, Jokic and Kawhi does some damage if the basketball gods ever grant them a concurrently healthy postseason.

1. Golden State Warriors

Steve Ballmer probably winces at the thought of shipping Kawhi to their division rivals, but the Clippers are embracing a rebuild with any Leonard trade. They can't worry about the Golden State Warriors' new two-year title window — Los Angeles' plans would extend well beyond that, into the future. If the Warriors put forth the best offer, well, Golden State should win the sweepstakes.

We've seen the Warriors try and fail to land All-Star talent on the wing all summer, including Kawhi's former running mate Paul George. Lauri Markkanen and DeMar DeRozan both fell through as well, leaving Golden State with plenty of trade ammo and a clear appetite for franchise-altering additions.

Both Jimmy Butler and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been connected to Golden State in some capacity, but what if Kawhi is the first aging superstar to hit the open market? The Warriors have a finite title window with Steph and waiting for "better" options is risky, as nothing much is guaranteed in the NBA. Passing on Kawhi does not inherently put Golden State in the driver's seat for Jimmy Buckets next summer. Plus, Butler is not exactly a paragon of durability.

Kawhi gives the Warriors an immediate upgrade next to Steph and cranks the Dubs' title window wide open, assuming he's able to get through the postseason. Are the odds great? Not really, but hey, it's worth a shot. Steph deserves to go out swinging. We know that Leonard, when healthy, can deliver on the postseason stage as well as anybody.

Toss a few picks in, and the Clippers have to at least think about this trade.