The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the tougher teams to figure out in the NBA at the moment. There have been indications that they are in a rebuild, as they traded away veteran James Harden for a younger guard in Darius Garland earlier this year. LA also refrained from trading away the No. 5 overall pick in this past Tuesday’s NBA Draft in exchange for a veteran piece, and instead took 19-year-old guard Keaton Wagler.
That said, there have also been indications that the Clippers are still in “win-now” mode. Tyronn Lue, who is regarded as a ‘win-now’ coach, is still the head man on the Clippers bench. Most importantly, Kawhi Leonard remains on the roster and Clippers brass has maintained that they plan to keep the two-time NBA Finals MVP.
“Owner Steve Ballmer and executive Lawrence Frank have always supported Kawhi, especially throughout the NBA’s investigation into the whole ordeal with Aspiration this past year, and Frank has made it abundantly clear that the organization’s plan is to win with Leonard,” ClutchPoint’s Brett Siegel wrote this past week.
“Now, if a team approached them with a massive trade offer for the seven-time All-Star, they would have to at least consider the idea of taking a step back and moving on from Leonard, especially since he turns 35-years-old on Monday,” Siegel continued.
Siegel mentioned the Warriors, Timberwolves, and the Pistons as teams that have contacted the Clippers about Leonard’s availability over the past few months.
Meanwhile, the Stein Line’s Jake Fischer reported last week that Leonard would only be open to signing an extension with two teams: the Toronto Raptors or San Antonio Spurs.
Kawhi Leonard to the Warriors trade rumors
All signs point to the Warriors gearing up for one last title push in the Steph Curry era. Golden State GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. is poised to officially bring back veterans Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis in the coming days.
Back in April, ESPN NBA insiders Zach Kram and Bobby Marks wrote about Golden State being one of the most likely landing spots for Leonard should he be moved this summer.
“The Warriors have been connected more to Leonard than any other team in recent months, and for good reason,” Kram wrote. “After [Jimmy] Butler tore his ACL in January, the Warriors need a Plan B if they want to try to reopen their competitive window while 38-year-old Stephen Curry is still playing at an All-Star level.
“Leonard would be a strong fit as a Butler replacement, with even higher upside after the best regular season of his career. The salaries of the two stars match well enough that no other player would need to be included in this deal.
“For the Clippers, think of this trade as a supersized version of last summer’s Brooklyn-Denver deal, which sent Cameron Johnson to the Nuggets in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and a far-off future first round pick. In that move, Brooklyn wanted a valuable first-rounder years after Nikola Jokic’s prime. Here, the Clippers would nab a future first-rounder that should convey after Curry retires (as well as a less lucrative pick—thanks to lottery protections—next season).”
Dunleavy has done a nice job of holding onto all of the Warriors’ upcoming first round picks as Golden State has its own first rounders for the next seven years. The Clippers would certainly eye one of the picks in the early 2030s as Curry will likely be out of the NBA by then and Golden State will likely be in its own rebuild.
“Considering Butler is out indefinitely, the Clippers would want the top-14 protection removed from the 2027 first round pick or amended,” Marks wrote about a potential Butler for Kawhi swap. “An injured star, a pick that might not convey and a selection six years into the future should be a nonstarter for Frank and LA. From the Warriors’ viewpoint, swapping Butler for a healthy All-Star makes too much sense—even if the 2032 first round pick ends up in the lottery.”
Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors trade rumors
If Leonard is dealt, it will likely be to a team in need of a veteran superstar that could “put them over the top.”
Toronto, where Leonard famously won a title in 2019, is one of those teams in the NBA on the proverbial upswing. The Raptors jumped from 30 wins to 46 wins from 2024-25 to 2025-26, and they pushed the Cavaliers to seven games in the first round of this past postseason.
Raptors general manager Bobby Webster was part of the front office that landed Leonard in a trade eight years ago, and may be tempted to go back to the Kawhi well one more time.
Webster has also refrained from dealing away future first round picks as Toronto has its own firsts for the next seven years.
So, what would a potential Toronto trade look like? While the Raptors would likely have to part with Brandon Ingram for salary purporses, it’s been reported that the Clippers have zero interest in the swingman. RJ Barrett is another name to watch. But if Kawhi truly is a target for the Raptors, Webster will have some great draft capital and young players (Gradey Dick and Jamal Shead) to entice the Clippers with.
Kawhi going back to Toronto makes the most sense at the moment, and has gained steam over the past 24 hours. ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote Monday morning that the Raptors and Clippers were engaged in “serious talks” about Leonard.
Kawhi Leonard to the Spurs trade rumors
While a trade back to the Raptors is looking more and more like a real possibility, a Kawhi trade back to his original NBA home of San Antonio is the least likely out of the teams listed.
Spurs general manager Brian Wright will likely go the slow-build route with his young squad. Despite the negativity surrounding the franchise after their NBA Finals loss to the Knicks, the Spurs were (by most accounts) ahead of schedule this season in even making such a lengthy playoff run.
A trade to bring back Leonard would signal a desperation to win the title next season. San Antonio will more likely than not take a longterm approach and watch the likes of Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, and Julian Champagnie grow into their roles next to Victor Wembanyama. Wright also picked up two young big men in last week’s NBA Draft as he selected Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance, and UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr..
That said, if the Spurs could somehow land Kawhi by only giving up one (or none) of those young players, they would certainly be interested. The Spurs do have an unprotected first round draft pick from Atlanta to dangle in any trade, and may be looking to unload De’Aaron Fox as well.
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