The Los Angeles Clippers received multiple trade inquiries for Kawhi Leonard at the NBA trade deadline, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
The Clippers traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers but decided to keep Leonard.
Teams are expected to pursue Leonard again this offseason.
“League sources tell The Stein Line that the LA Clippers were hit with multiple trade inquiries for Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before last Thursday’s 3 PM ET trade deadline sounded after it became known leaguewide that the Clippers had agreed to send Ivica Zubac to Indiana,” Stein wrote. “Leonard has only one more season left on his current contract at $50.3 million before the 34-year-old — who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career this season — becomes a free agent. The expectation here is that teams will certainly be trying again to trade for Leonard in June.”
Leonard turns 35 in June. The two-time Finals MVP will make $50.3 million next season in the final year of his contract.
The Clippers signed Leonard in the offseason of 2019. Leonard’s stint with LAC has been disappointing, as the franchise hasn’t reached the NBA Finals and Leonard hasn’t been able to stay healthy. The NBA legend was also in the news last offseason for the wrong reasons.
A company called Aspiration allegedly paid Leonard $48 million for a “no-show job” intended to circumvent the NBA salary cap. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested $10 million in Aspiration in March 2023. The billionaire had invested $50 million in Aspiration 18 months prior.
Ballmer introduced Aspiration to Leonard in November 2021, three months after the Clippers had agreed to a four-year, $173 million extension with Leonard. Two months earlier, in September 2021, the Clippers announced a lucrative $300 million partnership with Aspiration.