The Los Angeles Clippers lucked into a top-five pick on draft night thanks to the Ivica Zubac trade with Indiana. They used it on Keaton Wagler. That move alone signals the front office is thinking about life after Kawhi Leonard. And according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, that day might come sooner than later.
Speaking on NBA TV, Haynes didn’t mince words about Leonard’s future with the franchise.
“If an extension is not worked out…I expect the Clippers look to move Kawhi. I don’t expect that he will stay and play on an expiring deal,” Haynes said.
That’s a pretty blunt assessment from someone who usually hedges. Leonard is entering the final year of his contract worth $50.3 million. He’s coming off one of his healthiest seasons in years — 65 games played, 28 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per night — and that earned him an All-NBA Second Team nod. On paper, he’s still a superstar.
But the Clippers have been down this road before. Leonard has missed entire seasons due to injury. The team has never made it past the conference finals with him. And now they’re sitting on a roster that’s getting expensive and old around the edges. Drafting Wagler was a clear move toward the future.
If the Clippers do decide to shop Leonard, there will be plenty of interest. He’s one of the best playoff performers in league history when healthy. A contender with strong infrastructure and a deep bench could talk themselves into rolling the dice on him. The injury risk is real though, and that will cap what any team is willing to offer in return.
There’s also the question of what the Clippers get back. They still owe future first-round picks from previous trades. Keeping Leonard and extending him might be the safer play — bridging the gap between eras and staying competitive while Wagler develops. That would require both sides to find common ground on a new deal.
For now, the clock is ticking. Training camp is a few months away. If there’s no extension by then, the trade rumors are only going to get louder.
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