An interesting NBA trade rumor just opened the door to a potential San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard rumor this summer.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, most NBA experts expected the Spurs to be much better than the team that finished 34-48 last season. They would hopefully get top star Victor Wembanyama back healthy for a full year. They’d also get a full season with 2025 deadline addition De’Aaron Fox, and Rookie of the Year winner Stephon Castle was a year older.
However, no one expected them to be this good. They currently have the third-best record in the league and are a top-five team in our latest NBA power rankings. Wembanyama has evolved into a top 10 player in the game and leads a talented young group that has looked very good in their games against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
But dominating in the regular season doesn’t mean playoff success. It is very possible — maybe even likely — that the Spurs don’t reach the Finals. And that is fine because they are well ahead of schedule. If they do fall in the playoffs, their youth and inexperience will probably be the culprit. That will be improved next season after they get those valuable postseason minutes this spring.
Nevertheless, this is still a team with only two players 30 and over playing meaningful minutes. They could certainly hope they are like the Thunder and can win it all with a very young core next season. Or, they could add an impact veteran in the summer, and a new rumor just offered up an intriguing option.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Clippers got a lot of trade interest in Kawhi Leonard just before last week’s trade deadline. While the team could hold on to him next season, it may be in their best interest to move him while he only has one season left on his contract and has played well while staying relatively healthy this season.
Should the Spurs target a Kawhi Leonard reunion in the summer?
The Spurs were not aggressive in trading for Kevin Durant this past summer, and did not show interest in the Giannis Antetokounmpo market this month. That could change in the offseason regarding the Milwaukee Bucks star. But San Antonio is a franchise that seldom makes big, bold moves and investments in outside players in their 30s.
However, Leonard would be an interesting option in the offseason. Obviously, he is one of the greatest players in Spurs history after playing seven seasons for the franchise and helping to win their last title. Yes, the two sides had an ugly breakup that led to a trade to the Toronto Raptors in 2018. But that was eight years ago, and time heals all wounds.
Leonard, if healthy, would be a huge upgrade at forward over Devin Vassell or Julian
Champagnie. He comes with a championship pedigree in two cities and would cost far less than Antetokounmpo in a trade. But more than anything, he has just one year left on his deal. So if it doesn’t work, both sides can move on in the summer of 2027.
