LOS ANGELES — Moments after the LA Clippers’ season ended with a 118-103 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard declined to discuss whether he plans to remain with the franchise beyond next year.
“Let me cry about this loss a little bit more,” Leonard said when asked about his long-term outlook. “We’ll have our discussions when that time comes.”
The 34-year-old enters the final season of his contract in 2026-27 and becomes eligible the day after the NBA Finals to sign a two-year extension reportedly worth up to $126.1 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Turnaround season after midyear trades
Speculation about a rebuild intensified in February when Los Angeles traded All-Star guard James Harden and center Ivica Zubac. Instead, the Clippers rebounded from a 6-21 start, closing the regular season 36-19 and becoming the first team in league history to finish 15 games above .500 after being 15 games below that mark earlier in the year.
The tumultuous campaign also featured the abrupt exit of franchise icon Chris Paul, who was sent home during a road trip, dealt to the Toronto Raptors and later retired after his release.
Ongoing Aspiration endorsement probe
Another cloud over the organization is the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s endorsement agreement with the now-bankrupt financial firm Aspiration. Former employees suggested the deal was intended to circumvent salary-cap rules, a claim the league began probing in September.
Asked Wednesday about the status of that inquiry, Leonard replied, “You’ll have to ask the NBA, not me. I think we’re going to be in the clear. I’m not stressing it.”
Warriors expressed interest, could revisit talks
Multiple sources said Golden State contacted the Clippers in February regarding Leonard’s availability following the Harden trade. While those discussions went nowhere, league insiders expect the Warriors to revisit the idea during the offseason.
Career-best production
If 2025-26 was Leonard’s Los Angeles finale, it was statistically his finest year. He averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game, ranked inside the top ten in overall field-goal, two-point and three-point accuracy, and appeared in 66 contests — his second-highest total since 2016-17. The Clippers were plus-7.8 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor and minus-6.9 when he sat.
Warriors’ defense clamps down
Golden State built Wednesday’s game plan around limiting Leonard. He scored 21 points but converted only one basket over the final 16 minutes and committed five second-half turnovers, his most in any half since 2019. According to ESPN Insights, Draymond Green guarded Leonard on 51 half-court possessions — the most by a single defender against any player this season — holding him to nine points on eight attempts.
“Draymond Green, Hall of Fame defender,” Leonard said. “It was hard to even get shots up.”
The Clippers now enter an offseason filled with questions about their roster construction, a pending league investigation and, most importantly, whether Leonard will sign an extension or test the market next summer.
Source: ESPN.com
