Grade the trade: Warriors-Clippers blockbuster would break the internet and revive GSW's title odds

The Golden State Warriors began the offseason with grand ambitions. First, it was Paul George. Golden State was on the opposing one-yard line in those trade negotiations, but couldn't push it across the goal line. Then, the front office shifted its focus to Lauri Markkanen. The Warriors were tied to the Utah Jazz All-Star for months, but nothing ever came of it.

Now many fans are left asking... what's next? The Warriors aren't interested in Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine, so the well for All-Star trade targets has dried up. Or has it? Reality can be such a bore, which is why fake trades are a staple of the NBA offseason. Not much is happening publicly in NBA circles these days. The free agent marked has slowed to a crawl and all is quiet on the trade front.

Leave it to the experts at Bleacher Report to keep our imaginations primed for the 2024-25 campaign. B/R's Grant Hughes pitched five trades "that can still happen." One involves the Warriors, and it undoubtedly qualifies as the most intriguing and unexpected of the bunch.

He ropes in the Los Angeles Clippers, suggesting that Golden State can drag Kawhi Leonard up the west coast for a chance at glory competing alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. A man of few words, Leonard appears content in LA, which is his hometown. But, with his former running mate now in Philadelphia, the cracks are more apparent than ever with this Clippers roster.

Maybe, just maybe, we get to the point where a Kawhi trade actually makes sense.

Here are the full details.

Warriors-Clippers trade that pairs Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry

The Clippers also receive unprotected first-round picks in 2028 and 2030 as part of this trade, as well as a 2029 first-round pick swap.

This trade would completely destroy the internet. We've seen a few stunners in recent years, but nothing quite of this magnitude. When healthy, Leonard is still one of the 10 or so best basketball players on the planet. So is Steph. The Warriors would be gambling against injuries and age, but in terms of pure basketball talent, there isn't a better option on Golden State's radar.

Jimmy Butler was briefly connected to Golden State earlier this summer. Leonard occupies a similar niche, only he's better at it. Kawhi can still bury 3s at a high clip and he's still an elite wing defender, comfortable handling the toughest assignments in crunch time.

The Warriors would need to tread carefully with Leonard's workload. Last season was his healthiest in years, the first time since 2018-19 that Leonard appeared in 60-plus games, and it resulted in another early playoffs injury. Leonard is cursed at this point. We just know the knees aren't stable. Golden State cannot expect 82 regular season games at max effort level and a productive postseason.

Some concessions are inevitable, but that shouldn't stop the Warriors from trying to maximize the remaining Steph Curry years. He deserves it, and you know what, Kawhi deserves to go out swinging, too. The Clippers are probably better than folks realize with Kawhi and James Harden at the helm, but nobody would blame Los Angeles for pulling the plug. The Leonard experience has been disappointment after disappointment, through no fault of his own. The Clippers may be wise to squeeze a few prime assets out of Kawhi while they still can.

That is absolutely not the path Los Angeles will take with a new arena opening this season, to be clear, but the logic is sound. As for Golden State, Steph and Kawhi is a downright mean offensive pairing. Leonard is a master of physicality, spamming mismatches in the mid-range and burying defenders with his pull-up jumper. Kawhi is arguably the NBA's best iso threat. Steph, on the other hand, can warp a defense without even touching the rock. His quick-trigger shooting and constant off-ball movement and screening would pair beautifully with Leonard's repertoire.

The Clippers swallow a bad Andrew Wiggins contract here, but Gary Payton and Kevon Looney are movable, expiring contracts, and Moses Moody has a bright future once he's able to earn consistent playing time. Golden State only giving up a few draft assets is a potential quibble — the Warriors presumably would've given up more for Markkanen, and maybe even Paul George — but Leonard's age and injury history play a factor here. Even with a three-year extension, it's unclear how much longer Leonard's body can hold up to the rigors of NBA basketball.

Will this ever happen? Of course not. The Clippers aren't trading Leonard until the wheels fall off, and he's definitely not staying in the division when that time comes (if it ever does). In the realm of theory, however, there's plenty to chew on with this trade. It's a lot of fun.

Ultimately, the Warriors get the edge due to the championship upside of pairing Steph and Kawhi, a two-time Finals MVP with an appetite for postseason brilliance. But, the Clippers understand the risk inherent to said upside, and part with Leonard in favor of a long-overdue fresh start.

Warriors grade: A
Clippers grade: C