The Kawhi Leonard question directly affects three NBA organizations. Two reside in Los Angeles. Heading into the summer of 2019, the Los Angeles Clippers were arguably in the best position of any team in the NBA. They had made a scintillating run to the playoffs and earned the respect of the Golden State Warriors in the first round, and were now armed with two max cap slots in free agency.

All season long, the Clippers had been linked with Toronto Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard. After all, Leonard had grown up in the L.A. area, and would have the opportunity to be the primary option alongside players like Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell.

But while teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat have all made their big play to sign marquee free agents, the Clippers have mostly stood pat. They added Maurice Harkless as part of the three-team deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Miami, and they brought back veteran point guard Patrick Beverley.

Still, there is a feeling that the Clippers will have “struck out” if they fail to land Leonard, who may indeed be headed back to the Toronto Raptors on what is likely to be a short-term deal.

So what will the team do if they miss out on the biggest fish left in the pond?

Should they take a risk on Boogie?

The Clippers could use a legitimate anchor at the five position. Although Ivica Zubac looks like a promising young big, he is hardly the kind of player that can take the Clippers from the eighth seed in the West to a potential championship contender.

Montrezl Harrell might be a future All-Star, but his size (6'8,” 240 pounds) makes him better suited to play heavier minutes at the power forward spot.

Unfortunately for the Clippers, many of the premium bigs are off the market. Al Horford signed with the Sixers after surprising the NBA community by failing to find common ground with the Boston Celtics. And Nikola Vucevic re-signed with the Orlando Magic.

Plus, Marc Gasol accepted his player option for the 2019-20 season, which could prove to be a vital factor in Leonard's impending decision.

So with their options all but expired, is it worth it to explore signing DeMarcus Cousins? ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski appeared on the late-night edition of SportsCenter and said there was almost no interest in Cousin, and that even signing him to a mid-level exception had not been discussed:

Sure, Cousins' recent injury history is very ugly, and he struggled to play at a consistent level in the 2019 NBA Finals. But we are still talking about one of the most dominant big men of this generation.

Especially if the market for Cousins continues to shrink, why should the Clippers not try to reach an agreement on a short-term deal? If it pans out, Cousins is a legitimate and marketable figure in the Los Angeles area capable of helping the Clippers move up in the West. If not, they still have the kind of roster composition to make another playoff run.

Swallow your medicine

In all honesty, the reality is that the Clippers may just have to accept that they were not aggressive enough in free agency, much like their Eastern Conference counterpart in New York.

Should Lawrence Frank and Michael Winger decide that Cousins would only muddy the waters, they should at least try to sign a “3 and D” guy such as Danny Green, who would provide a veteran presence while fitting in with the team's current identity.

The Clippers could also try to orchestrate a sign-and-trade with the Warriors to acquire D'Angelo Russell, but that seems like a pointless excursion given that they just re-signed Beverley and want to develop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

If the Clippers miss out on Leonard, look for them to fill out the roster with one or two-year deals and try again in 2020 or 2021.