And here we go… sources tell @ExpressNews that Kawhi Leonard wants to be traded from #Spurs … more to come…
— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) June 15, 2018
As an organization, what would it take to land a proven superstar? Future draft picks? Established role players? Young talent?
Well, the Chicago Bulls have all those assets, and with the news breaking that Kawhi Leonard wants to be traded, it may be time to pull the trigger.
Does This Trade Make Sense For The Bulls?
Hypothetically say the Bulls were to offer the 7th and 22nd pick in this draft along with Bobby Portis and Denzel Valentine, is that enough to get it done? The answer to that is yes. Kawhi will be leaving San Antonio as soon as possible according to all these reports, so the Spurs would be smart to take the best offer available.
If Kawhi can commit to a contract extension with the Bulls and they trade for him, this team will cause havoc in the East for years to come. Could you imagine a lineup of Dunn, Lavine, Leonard, Markkanen, and Lopez next year? That is an Eastern Conference Finals team waiting to happen. This also accelerates the rebuild which the franchise and fans alike want.
What Kawhi Brings To The Bulls
Leonard brings a young veteran player with championship pedigree. He also brings defense to a team that desperately needs it. Having Kawhi on the wing with Zach Lavine can really help hide Zach’s defensive struggles.
Plus for only being 26 years old, Kawhi has some pretty impressive awards to his name.
| Career highlights and awards | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com |
Also with Leonard being so young, he has so much more time to improve, which he has done every season since entering the league.
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | San Antonio | 64 | 39 | 24.0 | .493 | .376 | .773 | 5.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | .4 | 7.9 |
| 2012–13 | San Antonio | 58 | 57 | 31.2 | .494 | .374 | .825 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | .6 | 11.9 |
| 2013–14† | San Antonio | 66 | 65 | 29.1 | .522 | .379 | .802 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 1.7 | .8 | 12.8 |
| 2014–15 | San Antonio | 64 | 64 | 31.8 | .479 | .349 | .802 | 7.2 | 2.5 | 2.3* | .8 | 16.5 |
| 2015–16 | San Antonio | 72 | 72 | 33.1 | .506 | .443 | .874 | 6.8 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 21.2 |
| 2016–17 | San Antonio | 74 | 74 | 33.4 | .485 | .381 | .880 | 5.8 | 3.5 | 1.8 | .7 | 25.5 |
| 2017–18 | San Antonio | 9 | 9 | 23.3 | .468 | .314 | .816 | 4.7 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 16.2 |
| Career | 407 | 380 | 30.4 | .495 | .386 | .846 | 6.2 | 2.3 | 1.8 | .7 | 16.3 | |
Why It Makes Sense For Kawhi
Kawhi can come to Chicago for a fresh start. He will come in with a young core who is hungry and eager to win. Plus he will be in the Eastern Conference, which almost guarantees him a shot at the Eastern Conference Finals or the NBA finals every year. It will definitely be interesting to see how this plays out, but the Chicago Bulls need to be very aggressive if they want a chance to land a superstar.
