Latest Reports May Be Signaling the End of the Kawhi Leonard Era in LA

Kawhi's exit has never felt more imminent.

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Kawhi Leonard saga continues to be the most important storyline for the Los Angeles Clippers this summer. With free agency officially kicking off on Tuesday, the buzz around Leonard is louder than ever. LA and Leonard have yet to sign a contract extension, and teams around the league have been aggressively pursuing the 35-year-old superstar.

External interest in Leonard is nothing new. The Clippers have received trade offers for the face of their franchise on numerous occasions, including most recently in February's trade deadline. The Clippers top brass never showed a willingness to move on from Leonard. It has been reported that owner Steve Ballmer has been adamant in his commitment to Kawhi.

The reports out of LA over the last few days, however, make one wonder whether that is still the case. There has never been this much smoke around the possibility of a Leonard trade ever since he became a Clipper in 2019.

Kawhi Leonard-Clippers Split Has Never Been More Likely

Over the weekend, the Toronto Raptors and the Dallas Mavericks reportedly engaged with the Clippers on Leonard. Toronto may be the most serious suitor right now, as it was previously reported that Leonard would be willing to sign an extension there. The Raptors' trade package would include Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and draft capital.

The Mavs' trade package is also out there: PJ Washington, Klay Thompson, and draft picks. Obviously, the details of the draft compensation would determine which offer is the strongest. Given where each franchise is, however, the Raptors seem like a more realistic destination.

The Clippers have been expressing a desire to retain Leonard and build around him. Last week, GM Lawrence Frank said that they have been in communication with Leonard and his representation, but didn't explicitly say anything about where the extension talks were.

One has to assume that if the two sides were close to an extension, this would have gotten done already. Leonard is eligible to add two more years and $126.1 million to his contract this summer. After the excellent season he just had, he is likely asking close to that full amount. The Clippers, on the other hand, presumably want to keep him closer to his 2026-27 salary of $50.3 million.

The fact that so many specifics of trade packages are coming out suggests that the gap between the Clippers and Leonard may be too large to bridge. The Clippers front office has yet to explicitly say that Leonard isn't going anywhere.

If anything, the Clippers may be using these extension talks as leverage in trade discussions. By signaling that they are still talking to Leonard and want to keep him, the Clippers may be hoping to get stronger offers.

Otherwise, the current situation makes little sense. Would you really be actively negotiating with teams on the terms of the trade of the same player you are trying to extend?

If the Clippers really wanted to retain Leonard, they could just give him what he is looking for on his next contract. Every day that passes by without an extension, the odds of Leonard getting traded increase exponentially.