The Los Angeles Clippers are weighing four separate trade offers for six-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard, a decision that could accelerate the franchise’s shift from contender to full rebuild, league sources told ESPN.
Why Leonard’s status matters
Leonard, 34, is coming off a career-best 27.9 points per game while ranking in the league’s top 10 in overall, two-point and three-point shooting. The forward appeared in 65 games – his second-highest total since 2016-17 – and the Clippers outscored opponents by 7.8 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. He enters the final season of a three-year, $149.5 million deal and becomes eligible for a two-year, $126.1 million extension the day after the NBA Finals.
Club president Lawrence Frank reiterated after the season that the organization hopes to “win with Kawhi,” yet recent moves suggest a reset is underway. Los Angeles shipped out longtime center Ivica Zubac and guard James Harden at February’s deadline, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022 and could hold the No. 5 or No. 6 pick in June if an Indiana first-rounder lands outside the top four (47.9% probability).
Complicating matters, the NBA is still investigating allegations that the Clippers circumvented the salary cap to compensate Leonard. Possible penalties range from fines to forfeited draft choices.
The four proposals on the table
Golden State Warriors
Receive: Kawhi Leonard
Send: Jimmy Butler III, 2027 lottery-protected first-round pick, 2032 first-round pick
Golden State views Leonard as an immediate replacement for Butler, who is out indefinitely with an ACL tear. The Clippers would secure a distant unprotected pick likely to convey after Stephen Curry’s projected retirement, though L.A. is pushing to remove protections on the 2027 selection.
Detroit Pistons (three-team framework with Memphis)
Pistons receive: Kawhi Leonard, 2029 second-round pick (from Memphis via Portland)
Clippers receive: Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, Ronald Holland II, Detroit’s 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, Memphis’ 2031 second-round pick
Grizzlies receive: Paul Reed
Detroit would pair Leonard with Cade Cunningham in search of a deeper playoff run. Los Angeles gains a 20-year-old former No. 5 pick in Holland, trims next season’s payroll by more than $10 million and replenishes draft assets. Memphis adds front-court depth at a low cost.
Houston Rockets
Receive: Kawhi Leonard, Brook Lopez
Send: Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Steven Adams
By teaming Leonard with Kevin Durant, Houston would chase an immediate title while shifting Jabari Smith Jr. to center. The Clippers would obtain 23-year-old All-Star center Sengun and 21-year-old guard Sheppard, maintaining competitiveness while getting younger.
Miami Heat
Receive: Kawhi Leonard, Kris Dunn
Send: Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, unprotected first-round picks in 2030 and 2032
Miami has sought a marquee star since the Jimmy Butler era ended and believes Leonard fits its two-way culture. The proposal allows the Heat to keep the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft and ten roster regulars, while the Clippers add Herro, Wiggins and two future firsts.
Next steps for Los Angeles
The Clippers finished 36-19 after Dec. 19 – fourth-best in the West during that span – by emphasizing younger players such as rookie Kobe Sanders. With expiring or team-option contracts on Bogdan Bogdanovic, Brook Lopez and Nicolas Batum, the club has prioritized cap flexibility for 2026-27.
Leonard can discuss an extension with the team once the Finals conclude. Until then, front-office executives are evaluating whether any of the four packages offers the right blend of youth, draft capital and financial relief to trigger a franchise reset.
Source: ESPN
