Kawhi Leonard’s Future in Los Angeles Viewed as Uncertain by NBA Executives
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Front-office officials across the league are increasingly questioning whether Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers will part ways as early as this summer, according to a report by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
Executives pointed to a series of recent moves that signaled a shift in direction for the franchise. At the trade deadline, Los Angeles sent guard James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers and center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, transactions that stripped the roster of two core veterans and diminished immediate championship aspirations.
Leonard, who turns 35 in June, is owed $50.3 million for the 2024-25 campaign—the final season of his current contract. The financial outlook, combined with age and the club’s altered timeline, has fueled speculation about a potential breakup.
A separate issue could accelerate any change. The NBA is still examining whether Leonard’s commercial ties to the financial firm Aspiration constituted an undisclosed form of compensation connected to his Clippers agreement. The investigation, first detailed by Pablo Torre last fall, involves a trail of investments, partnerships, and payments that also link Clippers governor Steve Ballmer to the company. If the league ultimately rules that salary-cap rules were circumvented, Leonard’s contract could be voided, immediately making him an unrestricted free agent.
Since signing with Los Angeles in 2019, Leonard has yet to guide the franchise to its first NBA Finals appearance, with injuries and limited availability frequently overshadowing his on-court production. With competitive, financial, and regulatory factors all in flux, rival executives are preparing for the possibility that the Leonard-Clippers partnership may soon reach its conclusion.
Source: Hoops Wire
