Draft Capital example:
Charlotte Hornets have the draft capital to get Kawhi.
Hornets lineup:
LaMelo Ball
Brandon Miller
Kon Knueppel
Kawhi Leonard
Moussa Diabate
Clippers roster:
Darius Garland
#5 pick
Derrick Jones Jr
Miles Bridges
#14 (Yaxel Lendeborg ??)
Benedict Mathruin
Kris Dunn
#18 pick
Tidjane Salaun
Josh Green
Kobe Sanders
Batum
Isaiah Jackson
Clippers case:
Will you make the playoffs? No but you don’t have your pick and you cant win with Kawhi on your roster anyways. Roster is good enough to not be top 3 in NBA bad (new draft rules). You got pick #5/#14/#18 in a loaded draft class along with a future 2030 pick. Also get a young guy in Tidjane Salaün who in my opinion looked like he got better & only 20 years old who’ll been in the league year 3 now. Also clear up space to get back to the 1st apron
Charlotte Hornets case:
East is wide open. If your Charlotte you enter win now mode. Add veteran presence and somebody who has won a ring before. Kawhi is coming off averaging a career high 27.9 PPG playing 65 games. Yes he’s 34 but he doesn’t look like he’s slowing down if he doesn’t have to carry the load every night anymore. Lowkey might have to add more draft capital but it’s worth it. If you have to throw in #30 pick too you do it. Still have Coby white, kalkbrenner, grant williams, Sion James off the bench and still has wiggle room to sign people off free agency
LA Clippers are in an interesting spot. Do you trade the #5 pick for a superstar or rebuild & trade Kawhi for more draft capital ??