Clippers trade buzz: Kawhi Leonard seemingly hints at roster deficiencies as rival contenders get busy with deadline less than 48 hours away

Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers suffered a crushing defeat by their rivals, the LA Lakers, just two days before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Leonard was not impressed with the performance of the Clippers' second unit in their 122-97 loss at the Intuit Dome. The team recently acquired Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills in exchange for PJ Tucker, Mo Bamba, a second-round pick and cash.

After the game, the two-time NBA champion expressed his displeasure with the Clippers' loss, emphasizing the need for the bench to improve and make necessary adjustments:

"You're not seeing the consistent minutes that you were seeing at the beginning of the year, especially with me still being on minute restriction," Leonard said. "It's kind of hard for Ty Lue to find those lineups that work. I feel like our second team has to get better. The start of that second quarter, it's kind of been like that since I've been back."

It's unclear whether Kawhi Leonard is sending a message to his second unit to step up their game or signaling to the Clippers front office to make more moves before the trade deadline.

The team has most recently been linked to New York Knicks big man Jericho Sims, indicating they need additional depth at center. Currently, they rely on Ivica Zubac, Drew Eubanks and Kai Jones, with Nicolas Batum playing as a small ball five — a strategy that's not sustainable against some of the bigger lineups in the Western Conference.

Leonard is still the unquestioned face of the franchise despite only playing in his 11th game of the season due to ongoing knee issues. As a result, the Clippers have leaned on Zubac, James Harden and the All-Star snubbed Norman Powell.

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YouTuber proposes Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto

YouTuber proposes Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto. (Photo: IMAGN)

Following Luka Doncic's trade to the LA Lakers, it seems no player is off-limits for trades, except perhaps Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. One YouTuber has even suggested a potential reunion between Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors.

SROS, an NBA channel on YouTube, proposed a trade that would send RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk and Gradey Dick to the Clippers in exchange for Leonard. Financially, it's a balanced trade, but it might not be appealing enough for the Los Angeles-based franchise.

Despite dealing with injuries, Leonard is still the star and face of the Clippers, which might make the Clippers hesitant to accept this deal.

However, a return to Toronto could be intriguing, considering Leonard's successful history with the Raptors.