There was considerable jubilation among fans of the Los Angeles Clippers on July 5, 2019. On that day, reports came out that the Clippers have signed Kawhi Leonard — a man who recently led the Toronto Raptors to an NBA championship win — after trading away a boatload of assets for Paul George. Leonard's arrival meant that the Clippers were done playing second-fiddle to the Los Angeles Lakers, and with their considerable depth, it looked like winning a title was only a matter of time for one of the unluckiest franchises in NBA history.

However, the Clippers have remained unable to shed their snakebitten past, falling short in the playoffs every year since acquiring both Leonard and George due to increasingly heartbreaking circumstances.

In 2020, the Clippers had a full strength squad, although they weren't the most mentally fortitudinous. They ended up floundering in the bubble, and since then, the injury bug hasn't relinquished its stranglehold over them.

As one would recall, Kawhi Leonard tore his ACL in the 2021 playoffs. Leonard then missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season, effectively dashing the Clippers' championship hopes. And during the 2023 playoffs, with Paul George on the mend after spraining his knee in an unlucky collision with Luguentz Dort, Leonard proceeded to tear his meniscus, clouding the Clippers' future with much doubt once more.

Thus, some fans are now clamoring for change, as it's hard to win a championship in the NBA with two injury-prone stars as the team's foundational pieces. So as much as the Clippers have invested in the duo, change could very well come soon especially for a team that's looking to begin their stint in a new arena in resounding fashion.

And if that happens, these are three of the best destinations for a potential Kawhi Leonard trade.

Memphis Grizzlies

First of all, it has to be said that it's closer to the realm of impossibility that the Clippers trade Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers front' office recently reiterated its intent to keep on building around the two-time Finals MVP, praying to the basketball gods that Leonard is able to, somehow, remain healthy for two playoff months.

But in a “break glass in case of emergency” scenario, the Grizzlies should be all over the phone trying to convince the Clippers regarding a potential Leonard trade.

Kawhi Leonard looks to be exactly the kind of steadying force these brash, young Grizzlies need to take the next step. Leonard is a no non-sense, no trash-talk cold-blooded assassin on the court — a stark contrast to what the Grizzlies have shown throughout the 2022-23 season.

Leonard also gives the Grizzlies a reliable three-level scorer who can prop up offenses simply by virtue of his ability to get a quality shot on almost every trip down the court. It's unfathomable how much of an upgrade The Klaw would be over Dillon Brooks, one of the most inefficient volume chuckers in the association.

It's not quite clear yet what it would take for the Grizzlies to pry Leonard from the Clippers in this scenario. The Clippers will justifiably ask for Desmond Bane in return, although that may be too hefty a price to pay for an oft-injured star, regardless of how elite he is on both ends of the court.

But for a team that recently suffered a first-round exit, shooting for the stars could become an enticing option soon enough.

Sacramento Kings

Speaking of teams that bowed out in the first round, the Kings recently lost a hard-fought seven-game series to the defending champion Golden State Warriors. That is not a small feat for a team that missed the playoffs for 17 straight years.

As a result, the Kings may end up playing it safe, riding out their ascendant core as they try to cement themselves as a consistent playoff team for years to come. Doing so may be the best decision anyway, as the Kings have shot themselves on the foot repeatedly over the greater part of the past two decades with shortsighted trades.

But for the Beam Team to ascend even higher on the NBA's totem pole, they will definitely need a third star alongside De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. And Kawhi Leonard will fit this team to a T.

Leonard will provide the Kings with an unassailable playoff performer (if healthy), someone who could relieve Fox, Sabonis, and even Malik Monk of their considerable offensive creation duties. When the Warriors were running riot all over the Kings in Game 7, Leonard could have come in and calmed the nerves of a young team.

This is nothing but a pipe dream for sure, but a healthy Kawhi Leonard elevates this Kings team to a championship-caliber one.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs, of all teams, know just how deadly Kawhi Leonard is at his best. Even with the Clippers' poor injury luck, the Mavs managed to face a full-strength Leonard in two straight postseasons, falling short on both occasions mostly due to the sheer brilliance of The Klaw.

So why not bring him in town to give Luka Doncic the two-way wing he needs to lead a championship team? Doncic's regular-season brilliance can also give Leonard's knees the reprieve they need to stay fresh come playoff time.

The Mavs have little to no assets that would entice the Clippers in a potential trade, but it never hurts to dream.