One of the biggest stories of the NBA Trade Deadline was what happened with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers were riding high and playing well until James Harden requested a trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and then Ivica Zubac was traded to the Indiana Pacers. This was an instant retool for the Clippers and begs the question about what will happen with Kawhi Leonard moving forward.
ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst asked the question during ESPN's NBA Trade Deadline coverage about what will happen with Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers have had a roller coaster of a season so far, starting poorly, then going on a hot streak, before it came out of nowhere that Harden wanted a trade. The Harden trade then made them look elsewhere, and that's where the Zubac trade came from, too.
Windhorst said, “The Clippers appear to be in a significant retooling. I'll step away from saying rebuilding, but it sure looks like a rebuild to me when you trade for draft picks like this. Harden and Zubac. And so that begs the question, What about Kawhi Leonard? What about Kawhi Leonard? Okay, he may not be going in the next 36 minutes, but is this a precursor to looking at whether a Kawhi Leonard trade is coming this summer?”
Leonard has been with the Clippers since 2019 after joining as part of a tandem with Paul George. The team eventually added Harden to the mix to create a “Big 3,” but they lasted just one season together before George bolted to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2024. With Harden being traded to the Cavaliers, Leonard is the only star left from that initial signing.
After missing time earlier in the year, Leonard has returned to the court and re-established himself as one of the best two-way players in the league. In his 36 appearances this season, he's averaging 27.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.1 steals.
The Clippers are 23-27 and currently the ninth seed in the Western Conference. Now, after these moves, it's unclear what will happen with the Clippers moving forward.
