The Philadelphia 76ers have joined the list of teams interested in acquiring San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard. According to Keith Pompey of Philly.com, the 76ers have expressed trade interest in trading for Leonard, who has a great relationship with Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown. Pompey reported that Leonard has a great relationship with Brown, who served as one of Gregg Popovich’s assistant coaches before joining the 76ers as a head mentor.

Earlier, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers reportedly expressed interest in trading for Leonard, who reportedly wants to play for a team in his hometown of Los Angeles.

The Lakers could offer assets such as Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and picks for Leonard, while the Sixers could start with 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz and Dario Saric. The Sixers also have two 2018 first-round picks, one of which will be a lottery selection.

Raptors could also trade for Leonard

According to ESPN.com, the Toronto Raptors could make four trades that will boost their lineup after they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. One of them included the Spurs and Leonard. Andre Snellings of ESPN stated that the Raptors could trade DeMar DeRozan, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam to the Spurs for Leonard and Rudy Gay. DeRozan could be a good complement to LaMarcus Aldridge, but his outside shooting, especially from beyond the arc, has dipped in past seasons.

Anunoby and Siakam could also provide the Spurs with needed scoring and defense if they decide to accept a trade for Leonard.

Leonard’s relationship with Spurs beyond repair?

According to multiple reports, Leonard’s relationship with the Spurs has gone sour after he was indefinitely sidelined due to a nagging quad issue. During his rehab, it was reported that Leonard was distant from the Spurs’ front office.

Despite having their own medical team, the Spurs allowed Leonard to get outside opinions and his own team to look into his quad issue. When asked several times about Leonard’s injury, Popovich always referred to Leonard’s “group” to decide if he will play or not. Some NBA executives, according to Bleacher Report, believe that Leonard’s relationship with the Spurs is beyond repair and could ask for his way out of San Antonio.

Leonard played just nine games in the regular season, averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 boards, and 2.3 assists during that span. Last season, Leonard was a finalist for the MVP award, placing third behind eventual winner Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder and James Harden of the Houston Rockets.
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