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Clippers Source Suggests it may be Time to Move on From Kawhi Leonard.
Coming off a 115-113 upset victory over the Houston Rockets, the Golden State Warriors improved to 32-30 on Thursday, March 5.
As good as that win may feel, the Warriors still have a lot of concerns moving forward. While some could soon go away, as injuries heal, the void of Jimmy Butler still looms for Golden State. And that’s an injury that won’t heal at any point this season.
The Warriors knew they had to make a splash at the 2025-2026 NBA trade deadline to improve their chances of capitalizing on the current window of contention. Kristaps Porzingis was the big acquisition, which has flopped so far.
From the outside looking in, it seems the Warriors’ gamble was a bad one. However, a recent report suggests that move might not have been their top preference. We all heard the rumors about the Warriors having interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo.
On Friday, ESPN reports that the Warriors considered Kawhi Leonard as well.
Were The Warriors Close To Landing Kawhi Leonard?
Kawhi Leonard
GettyKawhi Leonard reportedly had interest from the Golden State Warriors in 2026.
In short, no. And you can’t say it’s due to a lack of trying.
The Los Angeles Clippers simply weren’t interested in dealing away Leonard at this time.
While the Clippers stunned the league by parting ways with James Harden early, LA wanted to see what they could get out of Leonard and Darius Garland from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Garland finally debuted nearly one month later. The Clippers are currently sitting 1.5 games behind the Warriors, ranking ninth in the Western Conference.
Would Warriors Fans Support A Kawhi Leonard Addition?
Potential Lakers 2027 free agency target Kawhi Leonard
GettyClippers’ Kawhi Leonard during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers in December 2025
“Good, I’m glad to hear they tried going after him at least,” one Warriors fan said on Reddit.
“JJJ, Giannis and Kawhi and the dubs ended up with KP 😭 sometimes basketball is so unfair,” another fan said.
“Front office is aggressive. Respect,” a fan stated.
Kawhi Leonard would go to Golden State with some baggage. The veteran forward is being looked at by the league, as there have been some concerns about possible salary cap circumvention with Leonard and the Clippers’ organization.
Beyond that, Leonard has his injury concerns as well. Since his earliest days with the San Antonio Spurs, Leonard dealt with injuries that eventually turned him to a face of the load management movement in the NBA.
But there’s no denying that when Leonard is healthy, he’s elite. And when he’s in the playoffs, he’s a championship threat.
During the Clippers’ 2025 playoff run, Leonard posted averages of 25.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. He shot 53% from the field and 40% from three.
This season, Leonard has appeared in 47 games. He notched another All-Star appearance by averaging 27.9 points (49% FG, 37% 3PT), while coming down with 6.4 rebounds per game, and producing 3.7 assists per game.
The Leonard era in LA could conclude sooner than what the contract says. If the Warriors still can’t get involved in a possible Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster, Leonard just might be a name to watch this summer.