Mavericks' rumored trade package for Kawhi Leonard comes with a risky catch

LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard being on the Dallas Mavericks' trade radar is the last thing that fans expected this summer as Masai Ujiri looks to build around Cooper Flagg, and this rumored trade package for the seven-time All-Star has one major risk that Dallas needs to be extremely careful about.

The Mavericks can't afford to trade significant draft capital for Leonard

The players included in this rumored trade package for Leonard include P.J. Washington and Klay Thompson. Getting rid of two of your veterans for a top player in your conference would be an outstanding move, but this rumored haul also includes unspecified draft capital. This is where this deal gets extremely risky. The Mavericks don't have much draft capital as it is, and getting rid of first-round picks for an aging superstar is an extremely aggressive proposition.

Dallas doesn't fully control their own first-round pick until 2031. Next year's pick is top-two protected, and they won't get to use it unless it lands in the top two thanks to the move that originally netted them P.J. Washington in 2024. They have pick swaps in 2028 and 2030, and don't own their pick in 2029.

The Mavericks do own the Los Angeles Lakers' 2029 first-round pick, though, from the Doncic trade last year, but this is a pretty empty draft pick cupboard for a team that needs to build around their teenage superstar.

This is why a trade for Leonard is tricky.

Leonard would actually fit nicely in Dallas

But, if the Mavericks only have to give up swaps along with Thompson and Washington, a trade for the 6-foot-6 forward does make some sense. He averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from downtown, and he would form an incredible duo with Flagg on the wing.

A starting lineup of Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, Kawhi Leonard, and Dereck Lively II would be among the best starting fives in the Western Conference, and they'd have a great chance to return to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2024. Leonard remains one of the best defenders in the NBA, and a back line of Leonard, Flagg, Lively II, and Morez Johnson Jr. would be terrifying for opposing teams.

The Klaw can also still score at will despite turning 35 tomorrow. He effectively scores at all three levels, and his isolation scoring and shot creation would give the Mavericks' offense an element they desperately missed last season while Irving was sidelined. Leonard would immediately become Dallas' best player, but once again, this all comes down to what picks the Mavs have to give up in this deal.

The Mavericks should trade pick swaps, not unprotected picks

Trading multiple first-round picks for Leonard could prove to be disastrous for the Mavericks and Flagg's future, especially since he has historically struggled to stay on the court.

The Lakers' pick that Dallas owns is also much more valuable than they get credit for, as Doncic could leave Los Angeles in free agency after the 2027-28 season if they don't put him in a position to win a title soon. This is why the Mavericks should refrain from including that pick in any deals, especially in a move that's this nearsighted.

Parting with just pick swaps would be a deal Dallas would have to consider, though, and the draft capital included in this deal will be what ultimately makes this trade a home run or a nightmare for Ujiri and Mike Schmitz.

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