Warriors Must Focus on Kawhi Leonard Trade to Give Stephen Curry Chance to Contend amid NBA Rumors

If the Golden State Warriors want any hope of giving Stephen Curry one last shot at contending for the NBA crown, they'll need a trade to unlock that possibility.

They just don't have enough on-hand talent to elevate to that degree without an external lift. But since they aren't overloaded with trade assets, they can't just pick their preferred player and go get them.

They need an established elite who won't carry the trade cost typically associated with that status. They need someone with sharp enough strengths to picture them thriving in the co-star role next to Curry but also enough warts to keep the most asset-rich teams away.

They need Kawhi Leonard. And they seemingly know it.

They gave him chase at this past trade deadline, and they are expected "to be aggressive in pursuing a star player via trade this summer," Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor. While the Los Angeles Clippers declined those overtures last time around, O'Connor opined they could be more willing to listen after lucking out at the draft lottery and leaving with this year's No. 5 pick.

Maybe that'll nudge L.A. toward a full embrace of the youth movement it kick-started at the deadline. The franchise already took a forward-thinking approach with its return packages for James Harden and Ivica Zubac, so a Leonard deal might be the next logical step.

Golden State better hope it is, at least. Because Leonard looks like the best box-checker on the trade market, in terms of both on-court ability but also trade-market affordability.

Not saying Leonard would be cheap, obviously, but the Clippers can't just ask for a blank check like, say, the Milwaukee Bucks might with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Or just imagine what the Boston Celtics would want in return for Jaylen Brown after the strongest individual season of his career.

The Warriors aren't equipped to win a well-populated bidding war. They have a decent collection of first-round picks (including this year's 11th selection), but that's kind of it. They don't have any young players who are clearly ticketed for stardom. Their best money-matching deals are tied to players either on the decline (Draymond Green) or injured (Jimmy Butler).

This is, in almost every non-Curry way, a flawed roster. That's why the Warriors can and will be connected to perhaps any and every available star, but they don't all make sense. Many won't fit the budget. Some don't have the skills-smarts combo needed to thrive within this system.

Leonard looks like the exception. He has enough availability concerns to get discounted like a dented can at the grocery store, but he remains a premier talent whenever he plays. On offense, he can create advantages, space the floor or find buckets within the team's flow. On defense, he can wreak havoc off the ball or silence scorers on it.

He is legitimately great. The kind of player who could get added to this locker room and immediately convince this club it has at least a fighting chance of pushing deep into next season's playoffs.

The Warriors need that kind of lift. Without it, there's really no need for keeping Curry around (or bringing Steve Kerr back to coach him). They want to be meaningfully competitive, and they can't do that on their own.

A superstar trade just might put that on the table, though. As long as they pursue the right one, of course.