Steve Ballmer Remains the Biggest Obstacle in Front of a Kawhi Leonard Trade

Unless the Clippers owner has a change of heart, Kawhi Leonard isn't going anywhere.

Mar 16, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer reacts against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The biggest offseason domino to fall for the Los Angeles Clippers is obviously Kawhi Leonard. The star forward is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible for an extension. Yet, we have heard surprisingly little about a new deal between the two sides. With the league's cap circumvention investigation still ongoing, Leonard is widely considered to be a trade candidate.

Except, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer continues to stand in the way.

Ballmer had reportedly vetoed trade offers for Leonard at the deadline, most notably stopping the advanced discussions with the Golden State Warriors. It turns out, Ballmer's stance hasn't changed since then.

Steve Ballmer Wants to Keep Kawhi Leonard in LA

Anthony Slater of ESPN reported on Wednesday that Ballmer has "maintained a firm stance against a Leonard trade, preferring to continue building around his star forward."

For anyone who has paid attention to Clippers basketball in recent years, this is hardly surprising. Ballmer has continued to hitch his wagon to Leonard ever since he signed with the Clippers in the 2019 offseason. Through ups and downs and an endless streak of injuries, the Clippers organization stood behind Leonard.

This is partly understandable. Ballmer desperately wants to make the Clippers a destination for stars and free agents. He wants to close the gap between the city rivals, the Lakers. He believes that having a superstar like Leonard on the team is the best way to do it, as he has signaled an unwillingness to rebuild at every turn.

At the same time, it feels like the Clippers are delaying the inevitable. After the season Leonard just had, the Clippers can get a haul back in a trade this offseason. Slater reports that the Warriors are more than willing to make a competitive offer this summer. There would be even more teams interested if Leonard were truly available.

Getting multiple first-round picks and young players of intrigue could kickstart the next era of Clippers basketball and set them up for the future. Given how far the franchise is from contention in the stacked Western Conference, the Clippers would be better off turning Leonard into future assets rather than giving him a two-year, $126.1 million extension so that they can chase a Play-In spot.

As long as this is Ballmer's stance, GM Lawrence Frank's hands are tied. He will have to try to be as competitive as possible next season. Perhaps this means that the Clippers are more likely to be aggressive buyers this offseason, but the ongoing investigation complicates matters.

Regardless of what happens with the investigation and what the Clippers do with the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, it doesn't seem like Kawhi Leonard is going anywhere.