Sports

Kawhi Leonard Trade Destinations: Where Superstar Could Land If Clippers Pivot After Lottery Luck

By Liam McKeone Sports Illustrated

Updated May 21, 2026 9:23 AM

This year's NBA draft lottery took place last week and the consequences of how it unfolded will be felt for years to come. The Wizards and Jazz figure to emerge from the tanking darkness after winning the top two picks. The Grizzlies were gifted a path forward from the failed Ja Morant era by landing in the No. 3 slot. The Bulls moved up the lottery more than any other team to get the No. 4 pick, an absolute boon for a franchise finally embracing rebuilding status.

Of course, no result had more ripple effects than the Pacers' pick falling to No. 5, and that result could have an impact on Kawhi Leonard's future with the Clippers.

Indiana finished with one of the three worst records in the league but traded this year's first-round pick to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac. If that pick landed 1–4, the Pacers would have kept it. Instead, it fell just outside that range and belongs to Los Angeles instead. It's obviously a tough pill to swallow for Indy; Zubac figures to be a great supporting piece for Tyrese Haliburton when he's fully healthy but losing 63 games with nothing to show for it is ... suboptimal, you might say.

But there's no overstating how huge of a development it is for the Clippers. They don't have control over their own picks for several years yet-those picks all belong to the Thunder as the Paul George trade continues to haunt Steve Ballmer like the ghost of Christmas Past. Landing the No. 5 pick in an excellent draft could be a franchise-changing stroke of lottery luck. Los Angeles has been stuck trying to compete with aging stars for the last several seasons and finally tried to pivot by trading James Harden for Darius Garland. That trade in tandem with the No. 5 pick means there is, for the first time in a long time, there's a tangible vision of the future.

Which begs the question-will the Clippers pivot even more aggressively towards that future? And if so, what does that mean for Leonard?

After L.A. landed a top-five pick, there's been a lot of speculation about the possibility the superstar forward is on the move this offseason. An Eastern Conference executive told ESPN last week that Leonard has a case to be a more attractive trade target than even Giannis Antetokounmpo, who figures to be the crown jewel trade chip of the summer. Leonard will soon be 35 and likely won't be in the picture by the time the Clippers' pick at No. 5 fully develops.

Thus, it shouldn't be surprising if Leonard finds himself the subject of trade rumors this offseason. Let's dig into why Los Angeles would consider trading the face of the franchise, as well as the teams who could be in the running for the two-way superstar's talents after his best season in a few years.

Why the Clippers could trade Kawhi Leonard

Leonard has played for the Clippers since 2019. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

From a pure basketball standpoint, there are far more reasons to move Leonard than to keep him, which is why the Clippers should entertain the possibility. He is coming off a season in which he played 65 games and averaged 27.9 points per night. Given his elaborate injury history, it's not a stretch to think we'll never see that version of Leonard again as he gets older. Selling high on his talents makes sense for the L.A. from an asset accumulation standpoint, especially given there's virtually no chance they could compete with the true powers of the conference even with Leonard in the lineup next year alongside Garland and an exciting rookie.

It would also serve as a needed changing of the guard. The Leonard era has been a total failure. The Clippers gave up a two-time MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while crippling the organization's draft situation to acquire George and sign Leonard; a singular conference finals appearance is all they have to show for it. Embracing the youth movement entirely by trading Leonard could prove a beneficial turning of the page even beyond what the front office might land in exchange for his still-elite talents.

Of course, there are ... complications, to say the least. The NBA's investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap to pay Leonard extra money is still ongoing. That makes for a significant wrench that could be thrown into trade talks at any point. Leonard also moved heaven and earth to get to L.A. in the first place, forcing his way out of San Antonio and walking away from a championship-winning situation in Toronto without hesitation so he could play back home. It might prove difficult to get his sign-off on any trade. That technically isn't necessary as Leonard doesn't hold a no-trade clause but any interested team would certainly want his go-ahead so they know he'll show up for work.

Even acknowledging those hurdles, however, there are enough benefits for the Clippers that they could at least explore a Leonard trade. If so, who could pursue the superstar?

Kawhi Leonard trade destinations

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors were reportedly very interested in trying to land Leonard at the trade deadline but, obviously, proved unsuccessful. As they enter into the offseason armed with the No. 11 pick and Jimmy Butler's expiring $56.8 million salary, Golden State will likely try to go star-hunting again to pair Steph Curry with another elite talent and make a final push for a title behind the superstar shooter. Antetokounmpo figures to be a top option for the front office in that regard, as is LeBron James if The King leaves the Lakers in free agency.

But if those don't work out, Leonard would be a great fit as a top-tier scorer whose defensive abilities would be welcome on the wing with Butler injured and the possibility Draymond Green will be on the move, too. Los Angeles could land a second lottery pick as part of the potential trade package. And for Leonard, the Bay isn't too far from SoCal for an NBA star with access to a private jet at all times. Not only would it be fun to see the All-NBA wing team up with Curry, it makes sense for all parties involved if Leonard is to be moved.

Los Angeles Lakers

Could Leonard just head across town? | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Under the old ownership, this wouldn't happen. But new owner Mark Walter's other team, the Dodgers, are infamous for bringing in the top talent no matter the price. Would he direct the front office to do everything in their power to get Leonard if the Clippers end up shopping him? It's not out of the question; Leonard would give the Lakers some defensive punch that the lineup lacks entirely, while being on the same level offensively as Austin Reaves. Moreover, you couldn't create a better Luka Dončić co-star in a lab.

There are obviously numerous obstacles here, though. The Lakers wouldn't do this unless LeBron left and even then would probably have to convince Leonard to sign an extension at a discount if they're to keep Dončić and Reaves together. Ballmer would have to swallow a lot of pride to allow Leonard to head to his team's biggest rivals. And the biggest question of all-what can the Lakers even offer for Leonard? The next draft pick they can trade is in 2031 and don't boast much by way of young talent. If Reaves was on the table that makes for a mighty interesting conversation, but otherwise the only way this realistically happens is if Leonard forces his way to Crypto.com Arena.

Detroit Pistons

Taking regional consideration out of the conversation, there may be no team in the league more in need of Leonard's specific talents than the Pistons. Detroit won 60 regular-season games but got knocked out of the playoffs due to a complete lack of shooting and creation outside Cade Cunningham. Enter Leonard, one of the NBA's very best isolation scorers who also shot 38.7% from three last season. He'd fit like a glove into J.B. Bickerstaff's defense, too.

There are all sorts of interesting trade packages to consider if the Pistons get involved, too. Would Los Angeles want a ready-made Zubac replacement in Jalen Duren, whose stock is at an all-time low after a brutal playoff run? Would Detroit be willing to include Ausar Thompson? Might the Clippers settle for betting that the Pistons are making the same mistake they did and just take all of Detroit's future picks? No matter what, the Pistons might be willing to give up more value than anybody else because adding Leonard makes them a conference favorite and a serious title contender.

Miami Heat

The Heat figure to be a sleeper team for any superstar on the trade market this offseason. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Does Leonard just want to play in a sunny city with easy access to the beach? If so, Miami is basically the East Coast's Los Angeles. And the Heat could certainly use him. Pat Riley has failed to find a star to replace Butler and the team is running the treadmill of mediocrity as a result, but there's no shot they try to bottom out. Instead they'll be relying on Riley's ability to wheel and deal in order to provide Bam Adebayo with an offensive counterpart who can help Miami compete in the East. Leonard definitely qualifies in that regard-and this is the only team on the list where his primary responsibility of being the No. 1 option on the floor wouldn't change a bit.

The Heat just don't have a ton to offer. They have all their own picks and Tyler Herro as the headliners of any package. Perhaps the Clippers would be moved by the idea of putting Kasparas Jakučionis and/or Jaime Jaquez Jr. alongside Garland. It's hard to see the Heat outbidding anybody as a result but Miami cannot be ignored when it comes to big names hitting the market.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kawhi Leonard Trade Destinations: Where Superstar Could Land If Clippers Pivot After Lottery Luck.

This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 9:07 AM.