Not long after the LA Clippers fell to the Golden State Warriors in their play-in tournament game on Wednesday, reports about Kawhi Leonard’s future with the team quickly started spreading everywhere.
An article from The Athletic’s Law Murray caught a lot of attention, suggesting that Leonard’s time with the Clippers could be coming to an end after the team missed the playoffs.
“In 2022, there was at least the promise of Leonard’s return to look forward to,” Murray wrote in his article. “Now in 2026, Leonard’s future with the Clippers is as uncertain as ever. The franchise remains under investigation, and its next era leaves many question marks about the future.”
The 2025-2026 season marked Leonard’s seventh year with the Clippers. During that stretch, this is the second time the team has missed the postseason entirely. In three of the other five seasons, from 2022-2023 through 2024-2025, they made the playoffs but could not get past the first round.
Speculation only grew when Leonard was asked about his future, particularly with the Clippers organization. He chose not to give a clear answer, saying he needs time to process the loss before thinking about any decisions regarding his future.
“Let me cry about this loss a little bit more,” Kawhi said. “We’re going to have our discussions when that time comes.”
As for his performance in the 9th vs 10th play-in game, Leonard finished with 21 points on 47.1% shooting. He struggled to make a strong impact, especially with Draymond Green defending him closely, unable to prevent his team from losing 126-121 in a do-or-die clash.
Former powerhouses amidst frontrunners to potentially acquire Kawhi Leonard
Over the past few years, Kawhi Leonard has struggled to stay on the court for the LA Clippers, with injuries keeping him out for long stretches during his stint in Los Angeles. Still, when he’s healthy, there’s no denying how dominant he can be.
This season, Leonard put together one of the best campaigns of his career, averaging a career-high 27.9 points along with 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He played the biggest role in turning things around for the Clippers, helping them recover from a 6-21 start to finish the rest of the season 36-19.
Because of that, his value around the league hasn’t gone down. The Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat are both expected to look into the possibility of bringing Leonard in if the Clippers decide to make him available.
“The Warriors and Heat are expected to heavily pursue Kawhi Leonard this summer,” @LegionHoops wrote on X.
If any deal were to actually go through, it likely won’t be a simple move. Multiple players, draft picks, and possibly even a third team would need to get involved to make everything work. A trade like this could seriously shake up the league.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
