Kawhi Leonard vs. Giannis trade debate gets hot take from ESPN insider

The NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone, with everyone now knowing their drafting position and what they have to work with over the next month-and-a-half. While pick trades will be in heavy discussions, the league is also eyeing two superstars who could be availablenbad and on the move.

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly open to having trade conversations around star Giannis Antetokounmpo, but according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, everyone should be eyeing the Los Angeles Clippers and star Kawhi Leonard.

Windhorst was among media members who spent time in Chicago, Illinois this past week for the NBA Draft Lottery and the Draft Combine. It was the place to be for NBA folks as front office personnel, agents, media members, and more all gathered to get an early look at the next batch of young stars in the league.

It was there that, according to Windhorst, that a number of front office personnel voiced their intrigue in the LA Clippers’ current situation with Kawhi Leonard.

“Every day you hear about what’s going to happen with Giannis [Antetokounmpo], but everyone ignores that Kawhi has been better and healthier over the last two seasons,” an East executive said. “If you had a chance to acquire one or the other, I might go Kawhi.”

The way Leonard is playing, the Clippers might want him on their books.

“Them getting the No. 5 pick in the draft [via trade with the Indiana Pacers and some lottery fortune] is the piece of information they’ve been waiting for,” a West executive said. “At the very least, you’d expect them to have some fresh conversations to assess his [trade] value.”

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, who was also in Chicago this past week for the Draft Lottery and Combine, says everyone he spoke with believes the Clippers should retain Kawhi Leonard through the summer, but shouldn’t rush to trade him and get him to sign an extension with the franchise.

“I would just play it out and not extend him,” a West scout said. “He clearly wants to be in Los Angeles, so I wouldn’t be in a rush to lock him in early.”

“I’d extend him,” an East scout said, “but it has to be on a deal that makes sense for the team, given his injury history.”

Kawhi Leonard played 65 games this season, averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game for the Clippers while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three. Leonard averaged career-highs in scoring, field goals made, three-pointers made, and free throw percentage.

Leonard finished off the year healthy and will be ready for training camp, whether it be in Los Angeles or somewhere else.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a different story. The Bucks star played just 36 games this past season, dealing with multiple lower-body injuries that limited his ability to play and kept the Bucks from the playoffs. In 29 minutes a night, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while shooting 62.4 percent from the field.

Antetokounmpo has been in trade talks since before the February 2026 trade deadline, and that’s expected to continue well into the NBA Draft.

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