The Los Angeles Clippers are under fire, and Kawhi Leonard is at the center of it all.
With the team getting investigated over potential salary cap circumvention, the Leonard era has taken a strange turn out in Los Angeles.
At this point, there is reportedly a growing belief that the Clippers are beginning to prepare for life without Leonard.
ESPN’s Baxter Holmes recently dug deep into the Leonard saga, which is still playing out. While speaking with multiple general managers and NBA executives, the consensus is that Leonard is going to play out his contract with the Clippers, but everybody involved knows that the Clippers aren’t building around the forward anymore.
via ESPN: One former staffer said, the organization’s focus has shifted. “They’re done building around [Kawhi],” he said. “They know that and he knows that.”
May 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) controls the ball in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game seven of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Currently, Leonard is in the midst of a three-year contract. He signed for a guarantee of $149.5 million. The three-year deal kicked off during the 2024-2025 NBA season. Leonard made a reported $49.2 million for the season.
During the 2025-2026 season, Leonard is set to make $50 million. Typically, a player in his position would land a player option for the final season, but Leonard is locked in with a $50.3 million guarantee.
Unless the Clippers trade or buyout Leonard, he won’t become an unrestricted free agent until the summer of 2028. By then, Leonard will be 36.
Apr 26, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) is defended by Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) in the second half of game four of round one of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
It’s hard to imagine there is another team out there that wants to bring Leonard into their operation.
Although the Clippers haven’t been punished with any wrongdoing at this time, the investigation is still ongoing. It could serve as a distraction, and the noise would follow Leonard wherever he goes.
The Clippers took a major gamble on Leonard when they re-signed him with a new deal. A lot of teams would’ve avoided paying an aging veteran with injury concerns as much as LA did. Many teams would certainly avoid giving up assets for him as well.
Apr 26, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) is defended by Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) in the second half of game four of round one of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
At this point, the Clippers put so much time and money into Leonard, it’s in their best interest to keep him on board to see if they can come out on top.
While Leonard’s health has caused many absences since he joined the Clippers in 2019, he continues to be a dominant presence when he’s on the court. Leonard played in over 50 games in all but one of the five years he played for LA. When he won a title with Toronto, Leonard played just 60 games during the regular season.
It seems the best bet for Leonard and the Clippers is to give it another two seasons to see if they can seal the deal with a title. Last year, Leonard appeared in seven playoff games, averaging 25 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. The Clippers came up short against the Denver Nuggets.
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