Everyone is lining up, trying to steal Kawhi Leonard from the defending champion Toronto Raptors. With a possible meeting, are the Philadelphia 76ers a real threat?
The Toronto Raptors are attempting to swat away Kawhi Leonard suitors from all angles. The Los Angeles Clippers have always been on the radar, the Los Angeles Lakers just opened up maximum cap-space, and yes, even the Eastern Conference rival Philadelphia 76ers are rumored to have an interest.
Philly has yet to secure a meeting yet with the reigning Finals MVP — so far it is only the Toronto Raptors and both Los Angeles destinations who are scheduled. However, earlier this offseason, Adrian Wojnarowski, did mention it was possible.
If the 76ers are able to secure a meeting with Kawhi, they offer him from a great deal from a basketball perspective. But are they a serious threat to the Toronto Raptors?
Championship odds
Next season, the 76ers only have four players and under $48 million on the books (including several empty roster charges). With a cap of $109 million, that leaves Philly with over $61 million in available space. If they want Leonard, they’ll be able to do so without any problems.
If you add Kawhi to the books, they still have $28 million and their “room” Mid-Level Exception to work with. With that space, they can do a multitude of things.
Tobias Harris has a cap hold of $22 million. They could bring him back, bring back JJ Redick starting at $8 million per year, and sign someone with their Mid-Level Room Exception ($4.7 million). Essentially, they can bring back last year’s team with Kawhi Leonard in place of Jimmy Butler. That team should become instant title favorites.
There are also reports claiming the Clippers are attempting to pair Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard in L.A.
The 76ers could offer Butler near the maximum for five years — in total, more money than he would earn in L.A. — and have the same pairing in Philly. Why team up with Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, when you can team up with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons? Again, in this scenario, the 76ers would instantly become instant title favorites.
Philadelphia is far from a proven situation, but in terms of championship pedigree, it’s hard to argue they’re worse off than anyone.
Basketball fit and non-basketball reasons
But does Kawhi really want to go join Joel Embiid’s team?
Kawhi is a better player than Embiid right now, but it’s close enough that if Kawhi joins him in Philly, it would look like he was tagging along, just a little bit.
Picking the team most likely to win the title also doesn’t secure happiness. Just ask Kevin Durant, who appears unhappy in Golden State after winning multiple titles and Finals MVP trophies.
Kawhi knows his role in Toronto. He’s the number one option. He has tons of spacing and defense around him. He’s put in a position to succeed both from a team perspective and individually. In terms of basketball “fit” it’s a perfect situation.
And fit on the court isn’t the only thing that matters. Philadelphia earned a meeting with LeBron James camp last summer but wasn’t able to sell him on the idea of being a 76er. There’s no question, they were a better basketball situation than the Lakers last year.
Kawhi already has a lived in Toronto; he knows what it’s like here and may prefer that to other destinations. We all know he has significant ties to Southern California.
But does Philadelphia have that same pull? No offense to a fine city, but he has no ties and no experience in East Pennsylvania. There’s nothing to suggest he would want to live there full-time.
Lack of reporting
Woj reported that the 76ers might receive a meeting, and from a basketball situation it makes sense. However, the lack of reporting surrounding Kawhi to the 76ers, makes it feel less likely than other scenarios.
Typically, when there’s smoke there’s fire. So the lack of any signal from the 76ers camp is a good sign for both the Raptors and other potential suitors. Brian Windhorst was shocked to hear Philly might secure a meeting. The 76ers clearly haven’t generated the same buzz around the league as other top contenders.
Stephen A. Smith has proclaimed “there is no way” Kawhi goes to Philadelphia, so that means the 76ers have at least a small chance.
In terms of winning, the Philadelphia 76ers offer a situation comparable to, if not better, than everywhere else in the league. But this decision isn’t just about maximizing wins. Philly lags behind in several other key areas free agents value. Because of that, Leonard heading to the 76ers seems like an extreme longshot.
Overall, there probably isn’t much to worry about.