A bold idea making the rounds could reshape two franchises at very different crossroads. Bleacher Report insider Dan Favale floated a blockbuster trade concept that would send Kawhi Leonard to the Milwaukee Bucks in a last-ditch effort to keep the Giannis Antetokounmpo era firmly alive.
“The Milwaukee Bucks apparently plan to enter 2026 as buyers in hopes of keeping the Giannis Antetokounmpo era alive through this season and beyond. That is an admirable goal, but they’re straddling a fine line. Offering the one first-round pick they can trade now, in 2031 or 2032, may not get them much.”
“It also precludes them from building a Godfather-type package over the summer, when they can deal their 2026, 2031 and 2033 firsts. Kawhi Leonard is worth going for if the Los Angeles Clippers hit the detonate button. The Bucks desperately need combo wings, and his spotty health record is superseded by his capacity to lay the groundwork for title contention when he’s healthy.”
“Packaging Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis Jr., and Kevin Porter Jr. makes the math work. Milwaukee can split up an outright pick and swap in 2031 and 2032 on top of it. Though the Clippers have no reason to tank this season without their own firsts, they can rationalize this by acknowledging the value that control over Bucks picks will have if and when Giannis becomes available.”
“Nobody else up for grabs is worth Milwaukee forking over the lone first. Getting Kawhi is a stretch itself. Nearly any other star will surely fetch more than the Bucks can offer.”
The premise is simple but risky. Milwaukee plans to act as a buyer heading into 2026, even though its asset cupboard is thin. Right now, the Bucks can only trade one first-round pick, either in 2031 or 2032. Waiting until the summer would allow them to move more future picks, but that also delays any immediate help for Giannis, who has just returned from injury and is clearly impatient with the team’s stagnation.
Favale’s suggestion cuts through that dilemma: if the Los Angeles Clippers decide to blow things up, Kawhi Leonard is the one star worth Milwaukee emptying the chamber for.
From a basketball standpoint, the fit is obvious. The Bucks are starving for a true two-way wing. They currently rank 22nd in offensive rating, 18th in defensive rating, and 20th in net rating, numbers that simply do not reflect a contender built around Giannis. Leonard, when healthy, changes that math instantly.
He is averaging 28.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 50.2% from the field and 38.5% from three. Those are elite numbers, and they come with playoff credibility that very few players in the league can match.
Proposed Trade Details
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter Jr., 2032 Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick, 2026 Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick swap, 2030 Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick swap
Favale’s proposed framework makes the salaries work: Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, and Kevin Porter Jr., plus a first-round pick in 2032 and pick swaps in 2026 and 2030. For Milwaukee, it is a painful but clear message to Giannis. This front office is willing to sacrifice depth, flexibility, and future comfort to chase another title right now.
The risk, of course, is Leonard’s health. He is in year two of a three-year, $149.5 million extension and will earn roughly $50 million this season. Kawhi has already played 23 of the Clippers’ 33 games, which, by his standards, is encouraging. Still, any team trading for him must accept that availability will always be part of the gamble. For Milwaukee, that gamble might be unavoidable. Standing still is the greater danger.
From the Clippers’ perspective, the logic is more strategic than competitive. They do not control their own picks, so tanking this season does little for them. But acquiring control over future Bucks picks becomes extremely valuable if Giannis ever asks out. Those picks could age very well. Kuzma and Portis also provide usable rotation pieces or future trade chips if the Clippers pivot toward a longer-term reset.
The timing is everything. Los Angeles has quietly won six straight and climbed to 12–21 after a dreadful start. If that resurgence proves real, trading Kawhi is off the table. If it collapses, though, Leonard becomes the most logical domino to fall.
For the Bucks, this is about survival. Adding Kawhi Leonard would not guarantee a championship, but it would instantly restore credibility. More importantly, it would tell Giannis that Milwaukee is not content to drift. Sometimes, in the NBA, that message matters almost as much as the move itself.
