Kawhi Leonard to Utah Jazz an intriguing thought, but still as unlikely as ever

Trading to add Kawhi Leonard to the Utah Jazz ranks is a nice idea in theory, but unrealistic for a number of different reasons.

Let the NBA offseason drama begin. The NBA world was flipped upside down on Friday afternoon when several reports broke indicating that Kawhi Leonard is seeking a trade from the San Antonio Spurs. This isn’t exactly surprising news considering how odd his relationship was with the team all throughout the 2017-18 season, but it seemed there was always an assumption that the Spurs could patch things up.

If recent reports are to be believed, though, there will be no patching up this time. Kawhi Leonard officially wants out.

Though we’ll probably never know all the behind-the-scene details, in some ways it’s pretty shocking that things have soured so dramatically between Kawhi and the Spurs. Leonard won a championship with San Antonio in 2014 along with earning Finals MVP and San Antonio is one of the most storied franchises in the league with all the success they’ve had. Figure in the greatness of head coach Gregg Popovich and it’s hard to see why anyone would want to leave.

But apparently Kawhi has had enough. And with that being the case, you can wager that all 29 NBA teams will be calling the Spurs attempting to put together some sort of package to pry the superstar away from the team he’s played with his entire career.

The Utah Jazz are no exception to that list. No matter how much of a long-shot it is, when talking about a player that could instantly elevate a franchise to championship contending status, you always have to shoot your shot.

Jazz fans have long thought about how epic of a fit Kawhi would be on their squad. Not only is he an offensive force, but he’s a renowned defensive player who would seemingly fit the Jazz’s style like a glove. Putting his prowess on both ends of the floor on a solid Jazz roster with a rim protector like Rudy Gobert and an additional scoring threat like Donovan Mitchell would make for one heck of a daunting foe.

Unfortunately, while the basketball implications should make Utah a high consideration for Leonard, the pure fact of the matter is that it probably won’t ever be. Of course, in this instance, the Jazz could force the issue and trade for him, obligating him to join their ranks. But not only is it unlikely that Utah could offer San Antonio the best package that would make them agree to such a deal, but the Jazz probably wouldn’t be wise to do so.

In essence, this Kawhi Leonard situation is much like the Paul George situation of a year ago. George didn’t exactly demand a trade, per se, but he did inform the Indiana Pacers that he didn’t intend to re-sign and as a result they traded him for the best assets they could get. Luckily for them, while some mocked the return they received at the time of Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, it actually worked out quite nicely for them.

And if Paul George spurns the Oklahoma City Thunder and leaves in free agency this offseason, as many believe is plausible, then it will be hard to argue that the Pacers weren’t winners of the trade and that OKC shot themselves in the foot. A similar risk exists with Leonard. With just one year remaining on his current contract (excluding the player option for 2019-20), he’ll be free to go where he pleases after one season with whatever team he’s hypothetically traded to.

Considering that big market teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks are the two most common that have popped up as destinations that Kawhi would like to go to, it’s hard to see him re-signing with whatever random team the Spurs may ultimately trade him to. Sure, he could get into a good situation where he perhaps ultimately decides to stay, just like if PG ends up deciding to stay in OKC, but that’s a high risk that seems far from likely.

With that in mind, even if the Jazz could come up with the right package to woo Leonard away from the Spurs, they’d be taking a massive risk to get him. One that likely wouldn’t be worth it. I don’t think Utah’s picks or any combination of players outside of Gobert and Mitchell are going to be able to outmatch what teams such as the Lakers, Boston Celtics or even the Philadelphia 76ers might be able to offer.

Even if the Jazz did somehow catch San Antonio’s eye with a proposed trade, it seems like a near impossibility that Leonard would stay in Utah after next season. If he’s unhappy with San Antonio that in some ways bears a similar basketball culture, it’s doubtful that he’d feel any better off in Salt Lake City, especially when he’s expressed a desire to go to bigger markets instead.

The Jazz could follow OKC’s footsteps and risk it all with hopes that acquiring Kawhi would open a one-year window for a championship. But would Kawhi be enough to accomplish that? It’s highly doubtful. And if the Jazz gave up picks or promising youth for Leonard, they’d very well be jeopardizing the bright future they’ve worked so hard to build.

So will Utah reach out to San Antonio and see if they could concoct some magic to pry Kawhi Leonard away? I’m sure they will! But thinking that they have a serious chance of landing him is beyond unlikely. Unless Utah had some insider knowledge that Kawhi Leonard would be willing to stick around, which I’m sure they don’t and I’m sure he wouldn’t, they’d be foolish to mortgage the future for a mere single season with a guy like Leonard, regardless of how intriguing the fit would be.

The Jazz have gotten to where they are today by being prudent, patient and methodical, building up their team one step at a time. Although many believed they’d take a step backwards after losing Gordon Hayward last summer, they’ve still been able to continue onward almost without skipping a beat.

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As such, as enticing as bringing in Kawhi Leonard might sound, not only do the Jazz probably not have the assets to realistically pursue such a trade, it would be out of character for them to make such a risky move that would likely result more in heartbreak than in success.

The Utah Jazz are undoubtedly headed in the right direction and I have a hunch that at some point between now and the beginning of the 2019-20 season they’ll land at least one big-name player either in free agency or a trade. But I certainly don’t believe Kawhi is that player. For now, the Jazz will simply stay the course, waiting for a wiser and more fitting opportunity to surface.