The Golden State Warriors did not stand still at the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Behind the scenes, they were swinging for something much bigger than what they ultimately landed.
Why the Golden State Warriors Reportedly Tried to Acquire Kawhi Leonard
According to Marc Stein, “The Warriors made what has been described as a determined trade run at the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before the Feb. 5 trade buzzer sounded under the belief that Leonard might be unexpectedly unavailable after LA agreed to ship Ivica Zubac to Indiana. The Clippers ultimately balked then, but it is reasonable to presume that Golden State will investigate that possibility once again.”
The Warriors made a “determined run” at Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before the trade deadline, per @TheSteinLine
“It is reasonable to presume the Warriors will investigate the possibility again”
(https://t.co/6oOiJbm6i9) pic.twitter.com/hhkWCJ3oiP
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) March 29, 2026
The pursuit of Leonard was not Golden State’s only call during the deadline window. ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Ramona Shelburne also reported that the Warriors checked in on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaren Jackson Jr. before the buzzer sounded.
None of those moves came together, and the team ultimately pivoted to Kristaps Porzingis, acquiring the big man from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. That deal has not paid off the way Golden State hoped, as Porzingis has missed significant time since arriving at Chase Center due to a mysterious illness.
The desperation behind Golden State’s deadline activity makes sense when you look at where the franchise stands. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are not getting any younger, and the season took a brutal turn when Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL that ended his year entirely.
The Warriors entered the week of March 2 sitting in 10th in the Western Conference, clinging to play-in tournament positioning and needing any kind of reinforcement to salvage what remains of this season.
Leonard, meanwhile, is in the middle of what might be the best statistical run of his career. The 34-year-old is averaging a personal-best 28.3 points, along with 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game this season, earning his seventh All-Star selection in the process.
The urgency around Leonard’s availability has also been driven by something off the court. The NBA has been investigating the Clippers for alleged salary cap circumvention tied to Leonard’s $149.5 million contract and a reported no-show endorsement deal with the now-bankrupt sustainability company Aspiration.
Reports suggest the league’s ruling could void Leonard’s current deal and make him an unrestricted free agent. Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix described the possibility of the contract being voided as among the most talked-about topics across the league.
“I hear about it at every arena I go to, in all my conversations with league and team officials,” Mannix said. If Leonard’s deal is ultimately voided, Golden State would almost certainly be one of the first teams to the table.
That scenario is part of why Stein’s report carries so much weight going forward. The Warriors did not just place a casual call in January, wondering if the Clippers were listening.
They made a determined push with the clock running, and they came up empty only because Los Angeles pulled back at the last moment. That level of intent does not disappear just because the deadline passed.
For now, Golden State is trying to make the most of a tough situation with the roster it has. The Porzingis gamble has not paid off yet, and without Butler, the margin for error in the final stretch is razor-thin.
But the Leonard conversation is far from over. If the NBA’s ruling changes his contractual status this summer, expect the Warriors to be right back at the front of the line.
