Sources: Clippers remain unmoved by Kawhi Leonard trade inquiries amid rival teams’ pursuit

(ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel also contributed to this report)

Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers have entered the NBA offseason amid significant uncertainty about their immediate futures.

Days after drafting Keaton Wagler with the fifth-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Clippers have received trade calls from multiple teams inquiring about Leonard. However, the Clippers have been rebuffing offers they’ve received thus far, making it known that their plan is to continue having Leonard be a part of the franchise moving forward, league sources told ClutchPoints.

Trade inquiries surrounding Leonard have been notable since the trade deadline in February, when the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Detroit Pistons made late attempts to land the two-time Finals MVP from LA. Owner Steve Ballmer and the Clippers made it clear then that they had zero interest in trading Leonard, and much of the same mindset persists this offseason.

At no point have the Clippers reached out to teams to engage in trade conversations surrounding Leonard, yet the organization has been willing to hear out offers coming their way from rival teams attempting to pull off a summer deal for the seven-time All-Star.

Most recently, the Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks reached out to the Clippers inquiring about Leonard’s availability, prompting LA to perform its due diligence and explore what value is out there for Leonard, who turns 35 years old on Monday.

Even so, sources told ClutchPoints that the Clippers have simply listened to trade offers and have not been impressed with the value being presented to them. The Clippers still view Leonard as a face-of-the-franchise player and do not hold a desire to move him unless one of two things happens.

The only way the Clippers would seriously entertain the idea of trading Leonard this summer is if he were to ask out, which ClutchPoints has yet to be informed of, or Ballmer and executive Lawrence Frank were blown away with an offer that involves multiple first-round picks and a young, emerging talent. So far, the offers that have been presented to LA have been described as “underwhelming” and “one-sided,” specifically in talks that the Raptors started.

Toronto’s offer, which is centered around former All-Star wing Brandon Ingram, is of no interest to the Clippers, sources said. Ingram was previously offered to the Clippers by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2025 before he was dealt to the Raptors, and LA was not interested in acquiring him then.

Collin Murray-Boyles is a young, key asset that the Clippers would likely seek in a Leonard trade, yet to this point, the Raptors have left Murray-Boyles out of all discussions. The Clippers showed no interest in Toronto’s package revolving around Ingram and did not initiate conversations nor propose a counteroffer, sources said.

While the Raptors appear to be interested in a possible reunion with Leonard, who won the 2019 Finals MVP in Toronto, their pursuit has not led to a level of interest from LA’s standpoint. The inclusion of Murray-Boyles and more first-round assets could very change their assessment.

The Mavericks, who have a clearer path to creating an enticing package for Leonard, have yet to offer anything notable. Recent reports from The Athletic signal a package of PJ Washington, Klay Thompson, and draft picks being the assets in Dallas’ proposal to Los Angeles.

Since Ballmer officially purchased the Clippers in 2014, he has never been one to take a major step back as an organization. He, along with Frank, have always operated with a level of aggressiveness both on the trade market and free agency to put the Clippers in a position to contend and not take a step back. That would be the organization’s main goal in a possible Leonard trade.

That is why any deal with the Mavs would likely need to include Dereck Lively II, a 22-year-old center who would be of interest to LA if he is healthy, sources said. Lively is entering the final year of his rookie contract after undergoing multiple right foot surgeries, resulting in him playing in just seven games during the 2025-26 season.

To this point, the Clippers have not contacted teams about trading Leonard. Instead, the organization has made it known that they will hear out offers coming their way as they continue to communicate with Leonard and his camp on what the future of the franchise looks like.

The Clippers also haven’t received any indications from Kawhi or his camp this offseason that he is unhappy with the team.

Kawhi Leonard’s potential offseason extension

Obviously, Leonard wants to win, and LA has been opportunistic when it comes to roster building around him. Trading James Harden was a decision the Clippers made to open financial flexibility and add a younger, more dynamic guard in their backcourt next to Leonard in Darius Garland.

When the Clippers were forced to trade Harden and surprisingly also traded Ivica Zubac at the deadline in February, sources said Leonard expressed his frustrations during what was a 17-4 stretch for the Clippers, the best in the league at the time. Even so, Leonard made it known to the organization that he would wait until the offseason to evaluate his future and did not want to be traded in the middle of the season.

On the eve of his 35th birthday, Leonard’s goal is, and has been, to compete for a championship. Anything short of that would is considered a disappointment, leading to speculation in league circles of his eventual departure since the Clippers have only made it out of the opening round of the playoffs once since 2021, when they reached the Western Conference Finals.

Over the last five seasons, the Clippers have been eliminated in the first round three times and missed the playoffs twice, including this past year after losing to the Warriors in the play-in tournament.

Leonard is entering the final year of his three-year deal, where he will make $50.3 million during the 2026-26 season. This offseason, Leonard is eligible for a two-year, $126 million contract extension that would keep him under contract through the 2028-29 season. To this point, both the Clippers and Leonard are said to have mutual interest in getting a deal done.

Should Leonard’s mindset change and he declines this long-term commitment, then the organization’s decision to possibly trade him will become clearer.

Since choosing to sign with the Clippers in 2019, Leonard has been comfortable back home and with a franchise that has made him their number one priority over the last several seasons.

Although both sides are said to be apart on a number for an extension, the expectations from LA’s side of things are to agree on a number that would keep him with the Clippers and allow the front office to build a competitive roster around himself, Garland, and Wagler.

The biggest detail regarding rumors surrounding Leonard is that the Clippers are not actively shopping him on the market and are simply open to hearing offers from rival teams. Conversations have yet to take the next step to the point where LA is interested in what is being offered.

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