Working out a fake NBA trade in March is tough.
We’re a month past the trade deadline. We have no idea who’ll win the title. It’s tough to know exactly what each team’s books will look like by the time the new league year starts. And in the case of the particular deal, we’re about to speculate on, we don’t know what effect (if any) the league’s investigation into alleged cap circumvention will have on Kawhi Leonard’s contract.
All of the above factors into the possibility of a trade, so we’ll take some liberties on all of them before breaking down the potential move that could send Kawhi Leonard to the Detroit Pistons.
First, assume the Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers don’t win the championship in June (a little safer in one case than it is the other). Next, Detroit’s willing to renounce this summer’s cap holds on Tobias Harris and Kevin Huerter and is able to sign Jalen Duren to a reasonable new contract. And finally, assume that the $50.3 million currently owed to Kawhi is still owed and tradable in July.
Under that very specific set of circumstances, adding Leonard to Duren and Cade Cunningham would alter the league overnight.