NBA Insider Says Warriors Would Target Kawhi Leonard If Contract Is Voided

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard's contract status is a big talking point down the stretch of the 2025-26 NBA season.

Pablo Torre reported in September that Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration, a company funded by Clippers governor Steve Ballmer.

Torre said that he couldn't find any mention of Leonard publicly referencing the company, raising suspicion that the $28 million was a way to pay Leonard more after he took a bit less than his max when signing a three-year extension in January 2024.

An anonymous former Aspiration employee told Torre, "It was to circumvent the salary cap."

Fast forward to now, and NBA insider Tom Haberstroh thinks NBA commissioner Adam Silver could punish Leonard and the Clippers.

"Maybe it’s a case where Adam Silver levies some sort of punishment," Haberstroh said on Yahoo Sports Daily. "Whether it’s forcing Kawhi Leonard’s contract to be invalidated, and I think that would be one of the things that is on the table."

Haberstroh mentioned the Warriors among three teams that would try to sign Leonard immediately.

"I think if Kawhi Leonard is now a free agent, you’re going to see a frenzy for his services with the likes of the Lakers, with the likes of the Golden State Warriors, or the New York Knicks."

Would Warriors' Cap Situation Hurt Their Chances of Landing Kawhi?

The answer to the question is "probably not."

It is true that the Warriors can only offer Leonard a veteran minimum contract, which is under $700,000. But that's also true for the Lakers (hard-capped at the first apron), Knicks (hard-capped at the second apron) and some other contenders.

The Spurs are an example of a team that could offer more. They have access to the $3.8 million biannual exception.

That could matter to Leonard. But keep in mind that Leonard would likely a sign a max contract in the offseason, so an extra few million now might be meaningless to him.

Leonard Becoming an Immediate Free Agent Would Be Bad Look for NBA

A top-five player in the NBA becoming a free agent this late in the season would be unfair to every team that doesn't land him.

With that in mind, I suspect the league would suspend him for the rest of the season.

It's still anyone's guess what kind of punishment the league levies—if any.

If there is a severe punishment, what's most likely is his contract gets voided after the season ends but before free agency starts. He would be a free agent just like hundreds of others, giving every team a chance to clear cap space to sign him.

It would be extremely complicated for the Warriors to clear enough cap space to sign him as a free agent. Their best chance at getting him this offseason would be trading for him, which means they'd be better off if his contract isn't voided.

The most obvious trade idea is a package centered on Jimmy Butler and first-round picks for Leonard. Who knows if the Clippers would have interest in that, but the salaries are close enough to matching that it could happen.