The Clippers have a problem. Kawhi Leonard wants his money, and he wants it now. His camp is pushing for a full two-year max extension worth slightly north of $120 million. The Clippers have pushed back. That tension has rival teams circling, and none more aggressively than the Toronto Raptors.
Toronto reached out over the weekend to start trade talks. Their offer, according to sources who spoke with ClutchPoints, includes former All-Star Brandon Ingram, 22-year-old sharpshooter Gradey Dick, and a first-round pick. The Clippers have said no so far. They think that offer is pretty one-sided. They like what they see in Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles but Toronto has made it clear he’s not part of the deal.
So where does this actually go? The Clippers say keeping Kawhi is still the priority. Lawrence Frank has said as much publicly. But the cap math is brutal. They’ve been burned before. James Harden wanted a multi-year commitment and didn’t get it, so he asked out in February. Paul George walked to Philadelphia for a four-year, $212 million max offer after the Clippers only offered three years and roughly $150 million. Now Kawhi’s camp is essentially using that history as leverage: pay up or move me.
The Raptors appear willing to give Leonard that extension. That’s why the pressure is real. Steve Ballmer doesn’t want a rebuild. He never has since buying the team in 2014. But the Clippers know they’re not a real title threat with this roster the way it’s built. Ballmer reportedly only wants to trade Leonard if the return includes another high-profile, younger All-Star.
That’s where Jaylen Brown comes in. League sources told ClutchPoints that Brown would be LA’s top target if they do move on from Kawhi. Brown is coming off a career season: 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, shooting 47.7 percent from the field. He’s a five-time All-Star and the reigning NBA Finals MVP. He also has three years and $183 million left on his deal with Boston and is eligible for another extension this summer. Celtics president Brad Stevens has been openly shopping Brown as he reshapes the roster around Jayson Tatum. The Celtics have been deep in trade conversations (they missed on Giannis) and those talks are serious, not just feelers.
It’s unclear if a direct Leonard-Brown swap between LA and Boston is even possible. But that’s where the Clippers’ thinking is. They’ve had a level of interest in Brown for a while. And while Boston is listening to offers, Brown himself hasn’t asked out. Not once, according to league sources.
The NBA free agency period opens June 30 at 6 p.m. ET. Trade talks around Leonard aren’t slowing down. Something has to give.
Leave a Comment