The Los Angeles Clippers are a team in between timelines.
Having just traded two of their Big 3 (James Harden and Ivica Zubac) to begin a youth movement, already acquiring two of the Pacers' (conditional) first round picks, Bennedict Mathurin, and Darius Garland, there's clearly an odd man out in LA—two-way superstar Kawhi Leonard.
While it's not flashy, thanks to their recent surge in the postseason to challenge the favorite New York Knicks, Atlanta should be a dark-horse destination for The Klaw this summer.
Leonard, Daniels, and Alexander-Walker would suffocate offenses
While the pair of Dyson and Alexander-Walker has already wreaked havoc on offenses all season long, those two with Leonard would be one of the most ludicrous perimeter trios ever.
If the Oklahoma City Thunder didn't exist, I'd wager they'd be comfortably the best backcourt defensive trio of all time—unfortunately, the current combination of Alex Caruso, Luguentz Dort, and Cason Wallace might still hold that title even in such an event.
Still, the proof is in the pudding—teams that employ a bevy of perimeter lockdowns often delve far into the postseason. The Thunder and Celtics are two of the most obvious recent examples, and the Hawks this year have already put the league on notice thanks to NAW and Dyson's abilities to shut down Jalen Brunson thus far in the Knicks series.
Additionally, Leonard boasts something that Dyson and NAW lack—strength. Those two are spectacular on their feet as quick, agile defenders, but Leonard would bring that extra punch that is required to shut down some of the league's beefier offensive engines.
The idea of Leonard is undoubtedly great. The question is, how do the Hawks sink their talons in?
Should Hawks look to acquire Kawhi in '27 or '28?
The easy answer is to let Leonard become a free agent before the 2027-2028 season, as his contract expires, and he will surely demand substantially less than his current $50 million per year contract.
Unfortunately, Leonard is an aging commodity—while he was able to stay on the court for the vast majority of this year due to his lengthy history of injury, who's to say this trend will continue into next season, or the year after?
Leonard's price tag will be at an all-time low heading into next season, as his expiring contract leaves much to be desired. While it won't please Hawks fans in the midst of a breakout series against the Knicks, CJ McCollum is currently on the complete opposite end of the spectrum as a sell-high type player.
Aging himself, he could be signed and traded along with Zaccharie Risacher, Corey Kispert, and perhaps a handful of second round picks or a lone first for Kawhi. While letting McCollum or Risacher go would hurt, boasting the defensive trio of Leonard, Daniels, and Alexander-Walker would rapidly mollify any pain of their departure.
Add to this trio a shot at a top-four pick to acquire the defensive monster Caleb Wilson, and you have yourself one of the most fearsome defensive rosters ever assembled.
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