Amidst trade talks across the league, the Milwaukee Bucks, with All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo in mind, reportedly inquired about making a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers for Kawhi Leonard. In the final hours before the trade deadline, the Bucks were last-minute suitors for Leonard. The Clippers ultimately kept Kawhi for the rest of the season, but his future still remains uncertain beyond 2025-26.
A Clippers offseason trade for Leonard could still be on the horizon, according to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel.
“There were two teams in particular that were pursuing Giannis that had made calls to the Clippers about Kawhi Leonard, checking in on his availability,” Siegel said. “If he's still on the Clippers roster heading into the summer and his contract is not voided, he's going to be entering the final year of his deal I believe it's like $50.3 million.
“Regardless of how old he is, as long as he's healthy, it's going to be viewed like another scenario of when the Spurs traded him to the Toronto Raptors. It's the final year of his contract. He can still be a big piece on a championship team even though that's years later. We saw what Kawhi Leonard can do.”
No one anticipated James Harden's trade request amidst the team's most successful stretch of the regular season. Then, the Clippers' trade with the Indiana Pacers for Ivica Zubac sparked other teams to call about Leonard.
Could Clippers' Kawhi Leonard head back to Raptors?
Clippers veteran Kawhi Leonard was the subject of trade rumors ahead of the deadline, and is expected to be, once again, during the offseason, as ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel noted.
“It was then that the Toronto Raptors traded for Leonard without knowing what the future held for him in free agency. That move led Toronto to their first NBA championship,” Siegel said.
“Something similar could happen with Leonard this upcoming offseason. Maybe, just maybe, a return to the Raptors to compete for another championship is a scenario we could see play out.”
Perhaps the offseason will reignite trade talks between the Raptors, who were reportedly interested in Ivica Zubac, over the summer, or perhaps a call from the Bucks.
