Jason Burgos
Despite a recent rumor claiming Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has no interest in trading top star Kawhi Leonard, a new report has reignited the trade speculation.
Ballmer worked very hard in 2019 to convince Leonard to leave a championship situation behind in Toronto and join a franchise that has always been the ugly, red-headed stepchild in Los Angeles basketball. And as we found out last year, the Clippers’ owners seemingly broke collective bargaining rules back then to make sure he landed the talented forward.
So it is understandable why he is so deeply tied to the seven-time All-Star. Even when the Clippers were selling off veteran pieces before February’s trade deadline, Ballmer vetoed a potential trade that would have sent Leonard to the Golden State Warriors, according to a report from ESPN’s Anthony Slater earlier this week. That seemingly ended the speculation about a trade this summer despite increased interest around the NBA.
LA Clippers plan to ask Kawhi Leonard to take a big pay cut
However, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon claims that if Leonard wants an extension from the team once his current deal ends after this season, the future Hall of Famer will need to take a significant pay cut from the just over $50 million he is making in 2026-27.
Despite the injury woes he has dealt with for years, the 34-year-old had a very good season in 2025-26. Playing in 65 games and averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists a night. His performance this season is why his value is much higher than it was a year ago, when he had played in just 37 games during the 2024-25 campaign.
While Leonard probably wants to stay in LA, he has proven before that he will do what is in his best interest. Chances are, he would like to get one last major contract. Taking a big pay cut from the Clippers, a team nowhere close to winning a championship any time soon, seems very unlikely. Which means Leonard trade rumblings could get much louder following next week’s NBA Draft.
