Amid the NBA’s investigation, the LA Clippers could resort to the extreme step of trading or waiving Kawhi Leonard, per multiple insiders.
According to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, league executives expect the Clippers to let Leonard’s contract expire at the end of the 2026-27 season, with no intention to bring him back to the fold.
A former Clippers staffer told Holmes, “The organization’s focus has shifted. They’re done building around [Kawhi]. They know that and he knows that.”
The report further highlighted the irregular demands made by Leonard and his uncle, Dennis Robertson, when the Clippers pursued the two-time Finals MVP in 2019.
Leonard’s Camp Made Unusual Demands
Among the demands were that the Clippers acquire Paul George via trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder and grant part ownership of the team. Leonard’s camp reportedly made similar demands to the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers, the two other teams that pursued him as a free agent in 2019.
“Those requests included part ownership of the team, access to a private plane, a house and guaranteed off-court endorsement money, one source with direct knowledge of the talks said. They were the same requests that, according to The Athletic, Robertson made of the Lakers and the Raptors. The Toronto Star reported on Sept. 9 that Robertson also asked the Raptors for ownership stakes in outside companies and corporate sponsorship deals in which Leonard wouldn’t have to do anything in return for the money. Robertson did not respond to requests for comment for either story.
These verbal requests fell outside the boundaries of the league’s collective bargaining agreement, and while the Clippers didn’t say yes to them, they did say yes to others, according to a source with knowledge of the talks.
Subsequently, the Clippers faced two separate lawsuits alleging tampering violations involving Kawhi Leonard, one of which remains ongoing. As part of the lawsuits, the Clippers have been fined at least twice by the NBA for violations of league rules.
Clippers Urged to Move On
As the NBA continues to investigate Leonard and the Clippers for allegedly circumventing the salary cap, several Clippers staffers are so upset that they prefer to move on from “The Klaw,” per the DallasHoopsJournal.
“This has been a nightmare,” a Clippers staffer said about the Leonard era. “He’s an incredibly talented player when he’s healthy, but as everyone knows, he’s rarely healthy and his camp is just so difficult to deal with. His time here, thankfully, is coming to an end soon.”
“This has been a nightmare. He’s an incredibly talented player when he’s healthy, but as everyone knows, he’s rarely healthy and his camp is
Holmes also reported that front-office personnel on the Clippers have advised the ownership group to cut ties with Leonard ahead of the 2025-26 season.
“This last investigation is different,” a former Clippers staffer said.
“This one directly calls into question Steve Ballmer’s character. At some point, Steve has got to get out of the Kawhi Business.”
Clippers Could Take Extreme Step with Kawhi Leonard