Surprising Kawhi Leonard Suitor Emerges as Trade Buzz Gets Louder Than Ever

It feels impossible to gauge where the Los Angeles Clippers are with their superstar forward, Kawhi Leonard. General manager Lawrence Frank has insisted they want to build a competitive roster around him, but trade rumors continue to circulate about Leonard.

When it comes to being a contender, the Clippers are stuck in the middle. They dealt Ivica Zubac and James Harden at the trade deadline, but getting Darius Garland in return kept the team in the playoff hunt. They have enough talent to make the playoffs, but they have a few areas to address this offseason.

And yet, the idea of a Leonard trade becomes more possible every day. On Sunday, a new team emerged out of nowhere as a serious contender for Leonard.

Dallas Mavericks Interested in Leonard

League sources have reportedly told The Athletic that the Dallas Mavericks and the Clippers have discussed a deal that would send Leonard to Dallas in exchange for P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson, and draft picks.

This is a shocking revelation after the Mavericks finished 26-56 last season. However, they had a complete rehaul as they hired Masai Ujiri to be the president, Mike Schmitz as the general manager, and brought in former Michigan men's basketball head coach Dusty May.

Ujiri would reunite with Leonard after he swung a trade for the All-Star in 2018, when he was running the Toronto Raptors. The team would go on to win its first NBA title in 2019. The Mavericks would be getting an exciting trio around Leonard, Kyrie Irving, and Cooper Flagg at a relatively low cost.

Would This Trade Make Sense for the Clippers?

For LA's side, it wouldn't be the best package for Leonard. The Mavericks are lacking significant draft capital. They don't control their own pick until 2031. Washington was an excellent player next to Luka Doncic, but his shooting numbers took a dip after his departure. He averaged 14 points per game and shot 32 percent from deep in 56 games during the 2025 season.

The 28-year-old also has four years left on a $88 million deal. He would bring versatility in the front court as a stretch four and a solid defender. Thompson had an up-and-down season, averaging 12 points per game on 38 percent from three. He'll become an unrestricted free agent at the end of next year.

Thompson is still capable of bringing instant offense off the bench. LA is in desperate need of three-point shooting, and the 36-year-old can still provide that, but he isn't as consistent as he was in his early years.

Ultimately, this is the highest point that the Clippers can sell Leonard. He's coming off the best scoring season of his career, averaging 28 points per game. Dallas' package brings decent role players, but if Frank is trading Leonard, they need players that can jump-start a rebuild, and neither Thompson nor Washington can provide that.

They have a potential star in Keaton Wagler, and if LA wants to trade Leonard, they must receive young pieces and draft capital to invest in the future instead of grasping at a winning window that would close if Leonard is out of the picture.

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