Cade Cunningham was spotted talking to Kawhi Leonard after the Detroit Pistons’ recent loss to the Clippers, which had some speculating that Cade was trying to lure the oft-injured superstar to Detroit.
The two were speaking with their mouths covered, which is completely common after NBA games as players try to have candid conversations without everyone knowing what they are saying, but that didn’t stop fans and some media of running with the idea of Leonard in Detroit.
The Pistons are hanging onto first place in the Eastern Conference but could use another big time scorer like Leonard, who also still happens to be one of the best two-way wings in the game when healthy. He’s averaging over 27 points per game this season and is the type of player who would seemingly fit right in with Detroit’s gritty style.
There is also speculation that Leonard might be a superstar who could be had for a lower price, as he is always injured and has a contract that pays him $50 million a year through next season. Everyone knows the risks with Kawhi when it comes to injuries, but would that risk be worth it for a true needle mover?
That really depends on the cost and Leonard’s willingness to buy into Detroit.
Would Kawhi Leonard even play for the Detroit Pistons?
We know a few things about Kawhi: He loves planting trees (sorry), he doesn’t talk much and he loves Los Angeles. Leonard was born in LA and spent a good chunk of his NBA career trying to get there. Now that he is, I’m not sure Leonard has any interest in leaving LA for the bleak winter of Detroit.
And he seems like the kind of guy who would just retire rather than play somewhere he doesn’t want to play, so Detroit would need 100 percent reassurance that Leonard had any interest in being in Detroit at all, especially beyond this season.
Leonard played the part of mercenary before and won a title in Toronto as a rental, so who knows, he may have some interest in chasing a chip in Detroit, but they’d have to be sure and I have a feeling Kawhi isn’t leaving California.
Do the Clippers even want to trade Kawhi? And what would they want?
The Clippers have invested a ton of money in Kawhi Leonard and the team they have, which is old and does need a reboot.
But after winning four straight, the Clippers are within shouting distance of the play-in, so their mega rich owner may just want to go for it rather than blow up the team at this point, especially if they have to take pennies on the dollar for their aging stars.
Detroit certainly wouldn’t offer up Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren or Ausar Thompson, but if they could land Kawhi for some combination of their two expiring contracts (Harris and Ivey) and Caris LeVert, it might be worth exploring.
There is no indication that LA is going to do this, nor that they’d be willing to take scraps for a guy scoring 28 a game, no matter how old or injury prone he is. There is also a question of whether the Pistons should be giving up anyone of value for a guy who is always hurt for the playoffs.
They’d have to practically keep Kawhi under glass until then just to make sure he was healthy, especially if they had to trade three rotation players to get him.
Kawhi is an interesting idea as a short-term impact option who could push the Pistons over the top, but he comes with clear red flags that are tough to ignore.