NBA Trade Rumors: Insider advises LA Clippers to deal first round picks before ruling on Kawhi Leonard saga

Following news of potential shady business dealings, the LA Clippers find themselves under investigation from the league office. As the organization awaits a final ruling, one analyst urged them to take a brash approach with their assets.

Over the past few weeks, there have been countless updates on the saga regarding Kawhi Leonard and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. The star forward had a marketing contract with a company that was being kept afloat financially by Ballmer, resulting in accusations of salary cap circumvention.

If the LA Clippers are found guilty of working around the salary cap, one potential punishment is forfeiting first-round picks. Understanding this could be an outcome, NBA writer Tom Haberstroh floated the idea of them being aggressive in the trade market so they have no assets to surrender.

Utilizing the last of their first-round draft capital could help LA add another high-level talent to their already loaded roster.

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"The Clippers could push all of their chips to the middle and float a draft-pick package — say, two unprotected firsts and a 2031 swap — and pursue another star to complement James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal and Ivica Zubac," Haberstroh wrote. "But really, if the Clippers trade for a star using their picks, what could Silver do about it? As long as the investigation is ongoing, the answer is almost certainly nothing. Freezing a team’s assets for the duration of an investigation would cause an all-out revolt among the other owners."

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NBA insider suggests LA Clippers go all in on Zion Williamson

After pitching his gutsy idea of the LA Clippers parting with all their first-round draft picks before a punishment is laid out, Tom Haberstroh laid out some players the team could pursue. The most notable name of the group was New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson.

Similar to Kawhi Leonard, Williamson has struggled with availability. However, when on the floor, the former No. 1 pick has proven to be a dominant talent. In the 30 games he played in last season, Williamson averaged 24.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 5.3 APG.

While Williamson's fit on the Clippers could get tricky at times, the addition of Brook Lopez could help further unlock the two-time All-Star.

"In this scenario, the Clippers would start Beal, Harden, Leonard, Williamson and Zubac with Chris Paul, Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Nic Batum and Brook Lopez coming off the bench. Zion-Zu lineups could get cramped, but this is where the offseason signing of Lopez, an elite stretch 5, comes in handy."

Rolling the dice on a pair of injury-prone stars is a tough sell, but with their newfound depth, the LA Clippers could make things work. Also, if Leonard and Williamson could stay on the floor, they'd be a legitimate title contender in 2026.

Edited by Kevin McCormick