The latest blockbuster James Harden trade may just open up an opportunity for the Golden State Warriors, particularly if they miss out on a massive deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo as is looking increasingly likely.
The L.A. Clippers have gone younger by trading Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for 26-year-old Darius Garland, so could another veteran star in Kawhi Leonard follow suit in departing?
Warriors should pivot from Giannis Antetokounmpo to Kawhi Leonard
Antetokounmpo remains the primary focus for the Warriors right now, but reports over the past 24 hours suggest they could be losing the race to the Minnesota Timberwolves or Miami Heat -- if the 2x MVP is traded at all by the Milwaukee Bucks before Thursday's deadline.
If Golden State can't land Antetokounmpo, they shouldn't rush into another deal just for the sake of it, particularly in the wake of Jimmy Butler's season-ending ACL injury. However, Leonard wouldn't be a bad pivot from the Bucks superstar, and is very much the calibre of player who could make a tangible difference to the Warriors over the remainder of the season and beyond.
If the Clippers look to move on from Kawhi Leonard after trading away James Harden, should the Warriors be interested? @Mark_T_Willard has an idea...
(via @WillardAndDibs) pic.twitter.com/BSQDEPLGC3
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) February 4, 2026
ESPN's Anthony Slater reported earlier on Tuesday that Golden State are involving veteran forward Draymond Green in trade conversations, but it remains to be seen whether that extends further than simply a deal that would bring back Antetokounmpo.
If it did, perhaps the Warriors could construct a package around Green, Jonathan Kuminga and another small salary in exchange for Leonard. There would likely have to be some draft capital involved as well, but clearly nowhere near the same level of risk associated with giving up all the future first-round picks for Antetokounmpo.
The risk with Leonard comes with his extensive injury history, albeit he's been reasonably healthy this season in playing 36 of a possible 49 games. When healthy the 34-year-old remains one of the best players in the league, having averaged a career-high 27.6 points so far this season, along with 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals on 49.7% shooting from the floor and 39.1% from 3-point range.
Leonard also has only one year remaining on his contract, meaning Golden State wouldn't be taking on long-term money and could foreseeably still preserve significant cap space for the 2027 offseason.
Do the Clippers want to continue getting younger and more athletic in the wake of the Harden trade? If they do, it might well be worth a conversation for the Warriors if they get an indication that they're out of the Antetokounmpo race.