It doesn’t sound like the Philadelphia 76ers have built their best offer for Kawhi Leonard. Well that, or they don’t consider Markelle Fultz a valuable enough asset to help swing talks with the San Antonio Spurs.
From ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe:
P.S.: The more conflicting information I hear from people one or two steps away about what Leonard does/doesn’t want, the more I think some team — maybe one of these three — should be more aggressive gambling on a rental and selling Leonard on its culture. The Sixers haven’t offered Markelle Fultz, sources say, and it’s unclear if the Spurs want him. We know what Boston has. I pitched (among others) a Toronto swap centered on DeMar DeRozan last week.
To be honest, this might say more about the Spurs than the Sixers. They haven’t shown an inclination to take on Lonzo Ball in trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers, per multiple reports. They may just not be in the market for a point guard right now—or any guard. They have Dejounte Murray, Bryn Forbes, Derrick Murray and Patty Mills. That might be enough.
This could also just be a matter of two awkward fits. Lonzo comes with LaVar Ball and questions about his jumper. Fultz missed most of his rookie campaign with a shoulder injury and showcased an awkward, if broken, jump shot when he did play. The Spurs just might not want to saddle themselves with that type of risk—especially when said players would profile as centerpieces in a deal for a top-five player.
Still, the Sixers can cobble together a bunch of different permutations of their best package. They have the picks, prospects and enticing salary filler to outbid just about anyone unless the Boston Celtics cannonball into negotiations. Will they ultimately go all-in for Leonard? The hell if we know. Frankly, we don’t even really know how serious the Spurs are about trading him.
