Kawhi Leonard's Answer About His Clippers Future Raises Eyebrows

The Los Angeles Clippers' season came to a shocking end on Wednesday night. Just three days after the Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the regular season finale, the final result flipped on its head as the Warriors eliminated LA in the NBA Play-in Tournament with a 126-121 victory.

Clutch shooting from Steph Curry and Al Horford helped the Warriors pull away. Curry had 35 points, while Bennedict Mathurin had 23 points off the bench for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard had 21 points on 8-17 shooting with seven rebounds. Despite the 6-21 start and a miraculous turnaround, this still feels like a disappointing result for LA.

Per Clippers beat writer Joey Linn, head coach Ty Lue said, "Pissed off. We had the game in our hands." A playoff berth looked nearly certain a couple of weeks ago, but now the Clippers are one-and-done in the play-in tournament.

Kawhi Leonard's Future in LA Looks Cloudy

After the loss to Golden State, Leonard was asked if he'd like to stay with the Clippers. Per Linn, Leonard said, "Let me cry about this loss a little bit more. We'll have our discussions when that time comes." Obviously, Leonard was never going to give a detailed answer about the offseason immediately after a crushing loss, but his not expressing a desire to return or his love for the organization is certainly noteworthy.

Leonard's future in LA could be nearing an end. The front office separated its core at the trade deadline, sending guard James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers and center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers. While the return kept the Clippers competitive, it's difficult to see a winning future with this group.

The star forward is under contract for next season but will have a $50 million cap hit. He'll become an unrestricted free agent in the 2027 offseason at 36 years old. It's up to LA's front office to decide if they want to build a roster around Leonard and Darius Garland or part ways with their star player.

Options for Leonard This Offseason

There is a possibility that Leonard could request a trade this offseason. He's coming off one of the best scoring seasons of his career, and the Clippers could get a lucrative package for Leonard. If LA wants to move forward with the youth movement, trading Leonard now is the best chance to get valuable draft capital.

The Clippers also have financial flexibility to try to build a legitimate contender around Leonard. However, the moves at last year's deadline could signal that a change is coming, and the All-Star forward may not be in the team's future plans.

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