The Los Angeles Clippers caught their biggest break since winning the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes by getting the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
After trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac and getting a bunch of young talent, it feels like a Leonard trade is coming.
3 Teams Who Could Trade for Kawhi Leonard
For what it’s worth, what will handicap the Clippers in any trade is that Leonard’s three-year, $149.5 million contract expires next year. Even so, there are teams desperate enough to trade for his $50.3 million deal despite the injury risk that comes with him.
And why wouldn’t they?
Leonard had a pretty healthy season, averaging nearly 28 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals while shooting 50.5% from the field and 38.7% from three. Even if he’ll be 35 next month, Leonard is still playing at an All-NBA level.
So, who would be willing to take the chance with him? Honestly, probably team looking to become a contender instantly, so let’s start with the most obvious.
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is at the point of desperation that they will accept just about any boost they can get. It worked with Jimmy Butler until he tore his ACL. Leonard has a longer rap sheet, but he can be on the court while Butler can’t.
The Warriors’ season went down the drain because of injuries, so while trading for Leonard would be cruel irony, that’s a deal they shouldn’t pass up.
The Warriors also have the No. 11 pick to dangle in a deal on top of Butler’s expiring deal. They could also offer intriguing young talent, such as Brandin Podziemski. If the Clippers plan to get younger while scoring the most assets possible, the Warriors probably have the most to offer.
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix is coming off a surprise season when many thought they were one of the NBA’s most helpless teams. At the same time, they didn’t give Oklahoma City much of a fight. They have some draft capital, but not a lot, and not even theirs for that matter, but they at least have something.
It’s clear they still want to build something around Devin Booker. Jalen Green isn’t super young, but he’s young enough to make the Clippers fearsome. Add in Grayson Allen, and they would have the contracts to match.
That is substantially weaker than Golden State, but Phoenix is on the clock, and Leonard would give them a franchise player, albeit one in decline. The only problem would be that the last time they had someone of Leonard’s caliber on the team, it backfired pretty badly on them.
Houston Rockets
Now this one is the most interesting. The Rockets are coming off a disastrous season due to injuries, yet they have quite a few young players and contracts to potentially match a deal. The Clippers could have their pick of draft assets (Brooklyn, Houston, Dallas) to go with the young talent they could get in a Leonard deal.
It would be a little drastic, but the combo of Leonard and Kevin Durant might actually make some noise, depending on what the Rockets would send back to the Clippers. It would also depend on whether they could convince Leonard to stay with the team, which, given his propensity to be a flight risk, isn’t a sure thing.
Houston wants to salvage what they can while they have Durant. Leonard might be their best bet, even if it’s not the safest bet that he will stick around.
