The Los Angeles Clippers are once again entering an NBA season with championship-or-bust expectations. After years of chasing the right roster construction, they may have finally found a balance between star power, veteran leadership, and depth. The offseason brought significant reinforcements in the form of Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, and John Collins. These additions, combined with a core of Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac, give Los Angeles a legitimate shot at returning to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2021.

But no matter how well the Clippers are constructed, their season still hinges on Kawhi Leonard. Now entering his 14th year in the league, Leonard is one of the most polarizing superstars in basketball: undeniably brilliant when on the floor, but dogged by constant questions about his health, availability, and long-term effectiveness. Last season, Leonard played only 37 games, his lowest total in a Clippers uniform, and averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting an elite 49.8 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from deep.

With Leonard healthier than he’s been in years, surrounded by one of the deepest and most veteran-heavy rosters in the NBA, and entering a season where both his legacy and the Clippers’ window are under the microscope, 2025-26 has the potential to be one of the most fascinating campaigns of his career. Here are three bold predictions for Kawhi Leonard as he looks to put the Clippers back into true contention.

Kawhi Leonard will play the most games of his Clippers tenure

The biggest question every season surrounding Kawhi Leonard isn’t his skill level; it’s his durability. Since joining the Clippers in 2019, Leonard has never played more than 68 games in a season. Load management, chronic knee soreness, and the devastating ACL tear in 2021 have shaped his tenure in Los Angeles into one of constant uncertainty. However, the 2025-26 season feels different for one major reason: the Clippers have the depth to reduce Leonard’s workload without requiring him to sit out large stretches.

The additions of Bradley Beal and Chris Paul significantly lighten the offensive burden on Leonard. Beal is capable of carrying scoring duties for long stretches, and Paul, even at his age, remains one of the best orchestrators in basketball, allowing Leonard to preserve his energy on offense. Brook Lopez and John Collins, meanwhile, give the Clippers new ways to play through the frontcourt, adding a post presence and rim protection that makes it easier to hide Leonard in certain lineups.

The result? Leonard doesn’t need to go full throttle every night. Instead of leaning on him to generate half-court offense, the Clippers can stagger rotations, mix in Harden as a lead creator, and allow Leonard to pick his spots. That doesn’t mean Leonard will suddenly transform into an 82-game player, but there’s a very real chance that this is the year he plays in the 70-game range, surpassing his Clippers high and putting him back into the conversation for All-NBA First Team honors.

Kawhi Leonard will shoot career-best percentages from three

The Clippers’ roster construction should allow Leonard to generate more catch-and-shoot opportunities than at any other point in his career. With Chris Paul orchestrating pick-and-rolls, Bradley Beal spotting up, and Brook Lopez stretching defenses out to the arc, opposing teams won’t be able to load up defensively on Leonard in the same way they did in past seasons. Harden, who still commands double-teams on drives, will create wide-open looks for Leonard on the wing.

If Leonard’s three-point attempt rate rises slightly while his shots become cleaner and less contested, it’s not unrealistic to predict he could shoot in the 44-45 percent range from deep. That level of efficiency, combined with his midrange dominance, would make Leonard nearly unguardable when healthy.

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More importantly, it changes the Clippers’ offensive identity. In recent years, Los Angeles has been at its best when spacing the floor and punishing defenses with ball movement. Leonard, as both a spot-up threat and a closer in crunch time, could be the most efficient weapon in the league this season. A career-best shooting campaign might be the boldest prediction here, but it’s also one of the most logical outcomes given the pieces around him.

Leonard will lead the Clippers to their first NBA Finals

The Clippers’ history is littered with disappointment. For decades, they were the NBA’s poster child for dysfunction, and even after adding Leonard and Paul George in 2019, injuries and inconsistency have kept them from breaking through. Their lone Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021 was supposed to be the start of a dynasty; instead, it feels more like an outlier. But in 2025-26, Leonard has the perfect storm to lead this team where no Clippers team has gone before: the NBA Finals.

Leonard has shown before that when healthy and properly supported, he can carry a team to a championship. His 2019 Raptors run remains one of the greatest individual playoff performances of all time, and though he may not be the same explosive force at age 34, he doesn’t have to be. With Beal, Harden, Lopez, and Paul all capable of taking pressure off him, Leonard can focus on what he does best: dominating in the half-court, locking in defensively in critical moments, and hitting dagger shots late in games.

If Leonard plays more than 70 games and shoots career-best percentages from deep, the Clippers will likely secure a top-three seed. That positioning, combined with their unmatched veteran depth, could set the stage for Leonard’s most important achievement yet—bringing the Clippers to the Finals. And if they get there, with Leonard healthy, anything is possible.

Can Kawhi take the Clippers all the way?

Kawhi Leonard’s 2025-26 season has the potential to redefine his Clippers legacy. For years, he’s been viewed as a superstar whose brilliance was often overshadowed by his absences. But with the deepest roster he’s ever had in Los Angeles, Leonard has the chance to rewrite the narrative. Playing more games than ever, posting career-best shooting numbers, and guiding the Clippers to their first Finals appearance are all within reach.

For the Clippers, this season represents both urgency and opportunity. For Leonard, it represents the chance to cement his status as one of the greatest two-way players in NBA history while delivering what the franchise has long been chasing.